Moral Compass
by LolitaKG
Summary: Frieza was flexible, moldable; he had changed-only barely-since they had met, but she had noticed. What kind of person would he become if he had someone at his side to help him decide right from wrong? Perhaps it was a silly thought, but it wouldn't hurt to try. She had made up her mind, she would become his moral compass.
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter One_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

She had heard of the tyrant's latest victim, planet Vegeta, which he had destroyed nearly a year ago. Lord Frieza wasn't one for obliterating planets, to her knowledge, so it had seemed odd, and quite notable at the time.

She had never expected the PTO to come knocking at her own planet's door, though.

She had noticed the warning signs in the discreet fly-bys and nosey 'real estate' agents, asking questions that ranged from military tactics to how her neighbors grew their gardens. It had been alarming at the time, but she had ignored it in some selfish hope that maybe they were unnoticed, and could fade back into the obscurity in which they resided.

Adalina had managed to evacuate quite a number of people to a near-by planet, but for those that had chosen to stay, their life was miserable. They were being systematically culled, one by one, and since very few on her planet were warriors, they were nearly defenseless.

"You bastards just keep coming don't you?" she mumbled under her breath as she launched a teal colored ki blast towards another of Frieza's foot-soldiers. It disentegrated the low-level warrior and exploded against a crumbling building, scorching the surrounding golden grass.

She was beginning to grow weary, her lilac skin covered in deep magenta blood and scratches. Her electric-blue hair was tangled and sweaty, the humidity causing her natural waves to become unmanagable. She was beginning to think that tying her hair up would have been a good idea. Too late now.

One of the soldiers managed to get in close and land a punch on her face, causing her to stagger. She growled and whipped her leg out, sending him soaring through the powder-pink sky and into the mountains.

"My my, is this the little girl that's been causing the foot-soldiers so much trouble?" Adalina whipped her head towards the source of the voice, shocked by what she saw and felt.

He was handsome, even if a little feminine. His pastel green skin had nary a scratch on it, and his long, dark hair was tied neatly in a braid, capped by a jeweled diadem.

"Who are you?" she demanded sternly, not one to be taken lightly.

He smirked and flipped his head to re-adjust his hair,

"My name is Zarbon, I was sent to retrieve you. Such a nimble fighter doesn't deserve to be culled like live-stock. You're humbly invited to join Frieza's army." his tone left no room for debate, it was not inviting at all, more sinister if anything.

"Never." Adalina took a fighting stance, preparing for battle. If she had to guess, the man standing before her was on her level, and se hadn't even breached the extent of her power! Though, she hoped it didn't come to that, as the expense of chaotic energy could very well cost her her life.

"Oh? We'll do this your way then, though, from what my scouter tells me, it won't make much of a difference in the end any way."

She said nothing, a hard look of determination sliding over her features.

Zarbon wasted no time in flying towards her at blinding speeds, delivering a swift knee to her chest. Her sturdy armor held up as expected, but the blow cause her to cough violently as the momentum threw her into a crumbling wall.

Adalina stood on shaky feet and dusted off her white armor before taking to the air where she began firing off rapid ki blasts. Zarbon found dodging them to be irritating, as every time he avoided on, another would hit him head on, and they weren't weak either.

The alien angrily fired a large ki blast in her direction causing her to cry out in pain as the sudden explosion engulfed her. She caught herself before she fell but had no time to counter as Zarbon punched her in the jaw. Her head whipped back painfully, but she stood her ground, she would not be pushed around like some complacent prisoner.

Adalina threw a punch of her own, multiple actually. Her fists moved rapidly, but so did Zarbon as he blocked a majority of them. Unluckily for him, however, Adalina was a master at finding weaknesses in one's defense.

He slipped up once, and she managed to drive her heel into his gut, sending him flying. She flew and intercepted his ascent, kicking him again. She caught him once more, lacing her fingers together above her head and bringing both her fists down on his back.

Zarbon hit the ground hard, his body carving a trench into the golden grass, exposing the rich brown soil. He pushed himself up slowly, looking a bit miffed, but not too injured.

"You'll pay for that." he growled out.

Adalina had no time to react as he appeared right before her, gripping her by the throat. She clawed at his arms to try and stop him, but to no evail, he was stronger.

She hadn't wanted to resort to such drastic measures, but she had no choice. She had only recently discovered she was capable of increasing her power, but she was unable to control it or maintain it. The last time she had tried, it had nearly killed her due to the amount of energy it consumed.

Adalina took a deep breath and ceased her struggling, her eyes narrowing. She knew what needed to be done, for the sake of her people.

With a battle cry she powered up, her teal aura flickering and expanding, the energy behind it causing Zarbon to release her and back up. She could feel her power increasing, but it was also rapidly draining her ki, and in turn, her health.

Zarbon's scouter was beeping rapidly as the number continued to go up, much to his surprise. She could potentially kill him, but if he knew anything about fighing, he knew that she had not trained this ability. He shouldn't have trouble, but Lord Frieza wouldn't be too happy if she died.

"Zarbon! Is that the target's power level?" Speak of the devil.

"Yes Lord Frieza, I believe she's powering up, but at this rate she won't last long, she's expending too much energy." he spoke as if he was walking on egg-shells, for he knew Frieza could kill him at any instance.

"See to it that she is brought to me alive, Zarbon." Frieza replied over the scouter's transmittor, "Such power could be useful to us." his voice was cold, and demanding.

"Yes sir." Zarbon replied and began quickly thinking of a way to hault her power-up, but nothing came to mind, "Don't you know you'll kill yourself if you do that!?" he shouted over the roar of her aura.

She didn't reply, it was too late to stop anyway, as she was already done. Her normally yellow irises were glowing a bright red, the crimson color engulfing the entirety of her eyes. She instantly raised her hands above her head and began rapidly gathering energy into a large teal sphere.

"You fool! You'll blow up the planet with a blast of that size!" Zarbon's eyes were wide, he couldn't believe how quickly she had gathered such a massive amount of ki.

"I won't let you sell my planet off like it's property! I'd rather it be destroyed if that's the case! I'll die, but I'm taking you and your little brigade with me." she shouted in determination.

"Lord Frieza, you may need to intervene, she plans to blow the planet up and I cannot stop a blast of that size." he called out over his transmittor.

"Tch, what a pain. I'm on my way, prevent her from throwing that thing until I get there."

Zarbon swallowed absent-mindedly, Frieza did not sound too happy. He was sure to get an ear-full later.

"What about the remainder of your race?" he questioned.

She gave a short laugh,

"They're going to be picked off one-by-one anyway, I'm doing them a favor."

Zarbon's scouter beeped once more, Frieza was nearly there. He only need stay her hand for mere moments longer.

"There's always a chance your people will be allowed to return, I know a majority of them escaped before we arrived." he gave her a tacit look, hoping the white lie would be enough to desuade her.

"Enough! I'm ending this!" Adalina threw the massive ball of ki directly at Zarbon. His eyes widened and his life flashed before his eyes.

The blast was suddenly directed upwards by a swift kick from Lord Frieza, the young tyrant seeming to struggle a bit in his first form. He was almost excited that it had taken the peak of his first form to budge such a blast; he had found a strong soldier indeed. He need only break her and mold her.

Adalina's eyes widened as she processed what had happened, but she had no time to lament her failures. Her body gave out on her and rapidly descended, hitting the ground with a dull thud. She had given her all, and still, she had failed.

"Stop gawking like an idiot and go retrieve her! She better be breathing." The tyrant commanded harshly.

Zarbon nodded and apologized before flying over to the fallen warrior. Her life-force was incredibly low, and she was barely breathing, but she was alive. He decided not to take any risks as he precariously layed her over his shoulder.

"Bring her to the ship immediately, she'll need medical treatment if she is to survive." Frieza didn't sound too happy, but hopefully he wouldn't feel the need to kill Zarbon.

Frieza smirked to himself, he could already imagine the thousands of planets that could be forced under his control with such a strong warrior in his ranks. She had the potential to become even stronger, and he would personally see to it that she did.

 _ **A/N: This chapter was edited and reuploaded on January twenty seventh.**_

 _ **And like that, I've started a new story. The catch? I acutally planned the entire plot out! I have a chart and everything, so I should be able to finish this. Now there will be a few OCs in this story, as I'm going to be introducing a new enemy and their cronies. I will be releasing images of my characters as their introduced, and you can find the on my dA, my user name is: KuroKagamiImejo(a mouthful, I know!) Now, Luckily,for all of you, or maybe not, I consider myself more of an artist than a writer, so you'll have some decent pictures to go with my horrible writing. Until next time!**_

 _ **Thanks for reading, and leave a review if you're enjoying the story, or hell, leave one if you're not, constructive criticism is always great, and I eat trolls for breakfest.**_


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter Two_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

"She's waking up!" Bereat, one of Frieza's many expendable doctors, shouted in relief. Zarbon dashed over to the healing tank that contained the young girl, over-joyed that she had come to, as Frieza had promised quite the punishment if she had died.

The girl's eyes flew open and her heart-beat sky-rocketed; she was panicking. Her lilac fists began beating on the glass of the chamber as she struggled to release herself.

"Don't just stand there get her out before she breaks the damned thing!" Zarbon commanded, he didn't want to have her causing another mess for him.

"Y-yes sir!" Bereat sqauwked out, rapidly tapping the control pad.

The sickly green liquid in the tank began draining, and Adalina ceased her struggling, seeing no point any longer if they were letting her out. She felt completely fine, albeit a bit sluggish, but healthy none-the-less. She had been certain she was done for, so this all came as a surprise to her.

The hatch to the healing chamber opened and she stumbled out, ripping out IV lines and oxygen as she went. She was glad to see that she was still clothed, but wasn't too happy about being wet.

"Where am I?" she demanded, looking directly at Zarbon.

"On Lord Frieza's ship." he quipped, not liking her tone of voice, "You could at least be a little grateful, after-all, you'd be dead if it weren't for us."

She scoffed,

"Ah, yes, thank you so very much for taking me in and subjecting me to a life of slavery! How very kind." her tone was laced with sarcasm, and her posh sounding exotic accent* only added to it, making Zarbon a bit irritated.

"Get yourself dried off, and follow me." he spat

Adalina did as told, mostly because she felt dirty with all the medicinal juices still coating her. She took the towel layed out for her and was surprised at its absorption; it dried her completely off. She supposed that's what happened when one had access to nearly every civilized race in the universe.

She followed Zarbon soon after, and without complaint. She needed to find a way out, but Frieza was far stronger than she was, and it would take a lot of sneaking around to escape. She needed to bide her time and wait for the most opportune time. The green-skinned alien had stopped, and yet his 'prisoner' continued forward; must have been day-dreaming.

Zarbon suddenly grabbed her by the arm and shoved her into a large room with a bubble-shaped port. There,in a floating chair, sat Frieza as he observed the stars. He turned with a smirk plastered on his face and leapt from the odd piece of furniture.

The green skinned alien excused himself, leaving the two alone to talk. Frieza had walked up to Adalina, and he was quite surprised to see that she was only a few centimeters taller than he, where most others towered over his short form.

"What do you want with me?" her tone was bitter, as it should be. He _had_ just invaded her planet and killed millions of her people.

"You can start out by telling me your name." small talk always seemed to open path-ways, in his experience.

"Adalina. You're Frieza, correct?"

His eyes narrowed a bit at the informality,

"That's _Lord_ Frieza to you." he quipped, folding his hands behind his back, "No matter, you're new here so I'll forgive you this time. We have much to discuss, follow me."

She glared, but, once again, did as told. It would do her no good to get herself killed.

The smug tyrant couldn't help but notice how odd a creature she was. She was pretty, he'd give her that much,though her physique resembled that of a Human or Saiyan, that wasn't what caught his attention. It was her bright coloring; he'd never seen anything like it. From his experience bright colors generally meant something was venomous. He smirked at the idea as they continued walking; she would do him no harm.

They arrived in a room with a small table, two chairs, two glasses, and a bottle of wine. If Adalina had to guess, he was attempting to win her trust, or make her see him as an individual before he started breaking her.

She couldn't be more right.

"Please, take a seat."

She hesitantly did as told, and Frieza took a seat as well. The tyrant elegantly grabbed the two glasses, pouring wine into both of them with precise ease.

"What is that? It smells like an alcoholic beverage." she dead-panned, unfamiliar with the suspicious red liquid.

"It's wine. You are correct, however, it is an alcoholic beverage."

"I will have to decline, as I have never had such a beverage. People in my species do not partake in such activities until they are 210 years old." Frieza had been taking a delicate sip of his drink when she had said that, and he nearly choked on the liquid.

"How old are you?"

"200. We age only ten years for every 100 years we are alive." Adalina figured it wouldn't hurt to divulge such information, as it was merely her aging process, there was nothing that could be gained from such knowledge.

Frieza was quite intrigued. What a catch! She would make for an excellent warrior for years to come. Maybe he had even found a new toy to play with. Of course, his toys usually consisted of weaker life-forms he found of interest. He would entertain himself with their torment for weeks, sometimes months, before disposing of them. But not this one, he would enjoy breaking her, and then building her into the perfect killing machine.

He was smirking despite himself, making Adalina increasingly uncomfortable.

"I would like to discuss your position in my army."

She glowered and clenched her fists,

"I refuse."

"You are not allowed to refuse."

"You can't force me." she spat back

"I can break you." he retorted with the same ferocity.

Her eyes widened in fear. Perhaps he meant to torture her until she obeyed? She wasn't sure her mentality could handle that. Her fists were trembling and she forced them to relax.

"I would rather die than be subjected to your heresy."

Frieza was growing increasingly irritated with her blunt refusals and was beginning to think all of this was a bad idea. He would have to find some lower level imp to cull his anger later.

"That can be arranged." his politely condescending tone was replaced with the seething lull of anger. It was cold and deadly.

"You went through all this trouble to capture me, just to kill me? I don't think so. I will not bow to your whims,however, and if I must die by my own hands then so be it. You will not dictate my life."

It was his turn to clench his fists in barely contained rage, the wine glass shattering in his hand, causing liquid to drip onto the table. This _peon_ dare address him in such a way? He should kill her just to prove her wrong. But, no, he couldn't do that. She was far too valuable to let go of.

"Starting from here on out, you will not leave my side. You will not be training or working with the other soldiers until I have your absolute compliance, do I make myself clear?"

Adalina's eyes had grown wide with fear at his cold words,

"Yes Sir." she replied sheepishly. Never in her life had she been so scared, and all he had done was spoken to her so far.

Frieza smirked as the girl's brave facade slid away, revealing the terrified expression she was now adorning,

"I do not care how long it takes, I will break you, and you will submit to my whims."

She had no response to the sadistic undertone of his voice. He was malicious, with no sense of morality or compassion. The word 'empathy' probably wasn't included in his dictionary. The man was an absolute terror, and she would have to be with him every hour of every day it would seem.

Maybe she could feign complacency long enough for him to believe it? She had been told she had a silver-tongue and a way with words that couldn't be rivaled. But, if her observations had been right thus far, Frieza was quite the snake as well.

Frieza was beginning to feel a bit tired, whether it be from the long day he had endured, or the amount of self control he had just implicated, he knew not. He did, however, know that his new...'pet'(for she was not a soldier yet), would have to share the same chambers as he if he were to keep an eye on her. He couldn't risk leaving her with anyone else other than himself, she was far too powerful.

The tyrant did not fancy the idea of sharing his bed with someone, especially since she still reeked of the medical pod. He would have to get an extra cot placed in his room. What a hassle. Maybe he shouldn't have decided to personally watch her every hour of every day.

No no, it was a good decision, just a tedious one. He wouldn't bother with a cot, she could sleep on the floor. He was trying to break her, not pamper her.

"Come." he would stop by the armory first so she could grab a set of clothes, then he would make her take a bath.

Adalina swallowed her pride and did as told. He wouldn't kill her, but he would make her wish for it. Her earlier bravado had died down, now that she new his tolerance level for such things was low. Hopefully she could control her smart quips.

They stopped at a door, and her stomach twisted into anxious knots. She had no idea what 'breaking' her entailed, but it couldn't be good. He hit a button on the control panel to the right of the door and it hissed open, revealing armor and clothing of all shapes and sizes. She refrained from releasing a sigh of relief, as she wasn't out of the woods, not yet at least.

Frieza led her over to a shelf filled with varying colors of tank-tops and tights,

"Pick out a few of these. You won't be needing any armor at this moment." his tone left no room for rebuttal. He sounded quite irritated, and Adalina thought it would be a good idea to go quickly. She picked out three white matching sets, two black sets, and one red.

They left without a word, heading for Frieza's personal quarters, causing Adalina's anxiety to resurface. She could only hope he wasn't some sick pervert, though, he seemed as if he had no time for such acts. Too busy ruling the universe to bother himself with such petty affairs.

It proved to be an agonizingly long walk to his chambers, every step echoing her ever-increasing heart beat. She didn't want to admit it, but this Frieza, no, this _monster_ , had single-handedly managed to terrify her with nothing but looks and words. And his short display of power back on her home planet.

She shuddered, he had kicked away her strongest blast, a blast meant to destroy planets, with little effort. She sensed more latent power hiding within him, and she new she wouldn't have a shot in the dark against him. Not yet, anyway. _Probably not ever_ a little voice added in the back of her mind. She was pathetic when compared against him.

She lightly shook her head, clearing her thoughts. Tearing herself down would only benifit him. Her concern was not beating him, merely escaping him. The universe was huge, there had to be some place she could go where he couldn't follow.

She was so caught up in her musings that she hadn't noticed Frieza had stopped. Her blood ran cold when she walked into his back. He didn't budge a bit, and she jumped back. She had already messed up.

The tyrant was already on a thin line of patience, and her insolence would not go unpunished. He opened the door to his room, grabbed her upper-arm and tossed her onto the floor in one swift motion. Adalina winced, but was surprised to find that she had landed on luxorious red carpet. She didn't get any time to observe her surroundings as she was roughly spun around.

Frieza hoisted her up by the collar of her armor, setting her on her feet. He slapped her, hard enough for her head to whip to the side, but not really anything pain-inducing.

"You will pay more attention to your surroundings from now on, understood?" he growled out.

She nodded, a bit surprised, honestly. Her master had been much harsher with her during her initial years of training.

 _Her body roughly collided with a jagged cliff-face, the rocks biting into her shoulder blades, causing great gashes to well with deep pink blood._

 _"You impudent girl! You left yourself wide-open!"_

 _"I'm sorry Master Intris! I'll try harder next time!" the pint-sized Adalina knew his roughness was necessary for her to progress, so she thought nothing of it._

"Are you listening to me?!" an impatient voice snapped her out of her thoughts, "Go take a bath, you reek of medicinal juices. Leave your armor by the door, I will have someone retrieve it."

Her thoughts instantly snapped back to her long-gone master, the one who had gifted her the armor at the end of her training. It was made from the strongest material in her world. A flexible and light metal that couldn't be penetrated by natural means.

"What do you plan on doing with it?" she asked defensively.

He narrowed his eyes,

"I am merely going to have it put in storage until you need it, but if you keep questioning me instead of doing what I have demanded, I will have it incinerated." he was becoming impatient, so she did as asked.

He had pointed to, what she assumed, was his personal bath.

She sighed and walked into the spacious room,closing the door behind her. She noticed that he had a rather large tub. She mentally rolled her eyes, _Royalty._ She fiddled with the temperature gauges, running a steaming hot bath before getting undressed.

She really was completely healed, nary a scratch on her lilac skin. Such odd technology they possessed. She supposed it was only natural, though, since they were in a rather... _deadly_ business.

Adalina sunk into the warm water and tried to forget about her current predicament, forcing her tense muscles to relax. She had to find a way back to her people. She could always try reforming the treacherous tyrant...

She nearly laughed at the idea. He would never change, he was that kind of person. He had probably never felt any other emotion besides anger and sadistic glee. She pulled her knees to her chest and rested her chin upon them.

It would be impossible to instill morality into a being with no moral compass.

 _ **A/N: Moving on with the story. Next chapter will feature some more...interesting points. I feel as if Frieza is the creepily obsessive type of person, that will definitely become more apparent in the next few chapters. Man looking at how I want this story to go, I have noticed that it will be extremely long. Whether that is a good thing or not, is up to you. Next chapter: Will Adalina be able to prove her worth?**_

 _ ***For her accent think Asgardian, sort of.**_


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter Three_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

Adalina dried herself off with one of the peculiar towels she had used earlier, looking at the locked door suspiciously. She was expecting the ill-tempered tyrant to burst through the door at any moment, barking orders at her. She cautiously tossed the towel down the laundry chute and grabbed her clothes.

She quickly got dressed in her new white ensemble, a bit flustered at how the material hugged her curves. No matter, she couldn't imagine Frieza having any lusty desires for her. She shuddered at the thought, sure he was kind of cute in an odd sophisticated way, but his attitude threw that right out the window.

Wait, why was she thinking about that? She got side-tracked too easily.

With a sigh she opened the door, surprised to find that the lights were dimmed. She hadn't gotten much time to study the tyrants room and wasn't expecting what she saw. The carpets were a deep red, and plush to the touch. The walls were a creamy white. To her right, beside the bathroom door, was a closet of some sort and the wall adjacent to it contained a dresser with various weaponry and souvenirs from different galaxies she assumed.

The wall beside that had the exit and a floating orb of some sort. It looked like a large pearl surrounded by a multi-colored aura that emitted a soft glow. She dare not touch it, no matter how much her curiosity demanded it.

Finally, her eyes landed on the center of the room. Frieza's bed was an oval shaped and pressed against the farthest wall, opposite the dresser. His sheets were a royal purple with a cool red trim. His pillows were frumpy and alternated between different shades of red and purple, surrounding the body that lay in the middle.

Frieza lay on his back, seemingly asleep. His face was serene, and, had one not knew of his notorious name, they may even mistake him for an innocent. Adalina knew nothing of his aging process but surmised that he could be no older than a young adult.

She looked away and assumed that she was to sleep on the floor. She furrowed her brows. How indecent! She would not be treated like trash, left to rot on the ground. Okay, maybe that was a bit extreme, but, hell, sleeping on the floor was just plain uncomfortable, and seen as disrespectful in her culture. If she had a pillow it would be a different story, maybe even a blanket.

She sighed, she would have to talk with him tomorrow, but for now it wouldn't hurt to resort to a last ditch effort. She levitated in the air and turned on her side, curling into a tight ball. Ah, nothing like air and the omniscient flow of ki to keep one comfortable! It would deplete her energy and she couldn't afford to do it every night, but just this once would be fine.

She allowed her mind to drift into oblivion, forgetting her woes.

"Wake up." the harsh tone interrupted her slumber, and unfortunately for her, made her concentration lapse. She dropped like a stone, hitting the ground with a dull thud. She gave a grunt of pain, not expecting such a rude awakening.

"Good morning." she offered mindlessly, forgetting for a moment just _who_ had roused her. She groggily pushed herself up, coming to stand on her feet. She felt drained, a side-effect of sleeping while suspended in mid-air.

Her mind slowly began processing the figure standing in front of her impatiently, taking in his grimace,

"Yes, good morning, now hurry and make yourself presentable." Frieza had to admit, he was quite surprised to find his new 'roommate' floating in mid-air and dead asleep. Who did that? No matter, he would ask her when she was in a more cognitive state.

Adalina blinked and suddenly realized her predicament once more,

"Yes sir." she replied half-heartedly as she shuffled to the bathroom, grabbing a fresh oufit on her way. Frieza should have just awoken her when he got up an hour earlier. He had allowed her extra time to rest while he ran a few errands, knowing that she was exhausted and would not get up and try to run. The only reason he allowed the extra hour was because he did not want her present during his errands, as they consisted of three messy interrogations.

She exited the bathroom, freshly dressed. Frieza couldn't help but notice that the outfit hugged her curves and it was possible that she would cause a disturbance among some of his more perverted officers. Then again, she was strong enough to obliterate any low level soldier in his amy. He concluded that she would be fine, and if any comments were made, he would allow her to deal with them. Frieza couldn't tolerate subordinates with their heads in the gutter anyway, so to speak.

"Come now." he commanded sternly as he began walking, not even waiting to see if she followed. He continued speaking when he heard footsteps folowing behind him,"I have a few rules that are not to be broken, lest you be punished. You will not go anywhere unless I am accompanying you. You will not touch anything unless I say that you can, and you will not speak unless spoken to. Do you understand?"

She grimaced,

"Perfectly. I am not to do anything unless you say so." She growled, venom dripping from her words. Adalina was usually a very composed and sweet person, she was even dubbed the 'mother hen' of her squadron, but something about having every aspect of her life controlled...irked her.

Frieaza narrowed his eyes,

"You will not use that tone with me. That is your first warning, I'll only give you two more before I have no choice but to resort to violence," he smirked, knowing his next words were untrue, "and I _do_ hate violence." he feigned a tone of melancholy as he finished.

Adalina resisted the urge to scoff at his dramatics, seeing it as an unnecessary scare-tactic. She would follow his rules if only to prolong her chances of survival.

They soon entered the glistening room that Frieza operated out of; his throne room. She had been in the room yesterday, the sight of it bringing that particular memory to surface. She frowned and pushed the thought back, clearing her mind.

The short-statured tyrant took a seat in his hover chair and pulled up an HUD with a wave of his hand, the three screens spanning in front of him containing data on conquered planets and those awaiting the same fate.

Adalina picked a spot on the wall as far from him as she could manage and plopped down, sitting cross-legged with her arms folded across her chest.

They ignored each other for the most part, both going about their business.

Adalina had managed to drift off into a light sleep, not really paying attention to the fact that she was on the floor, dreaming of her younger days.

 _"Who are we?!" she shouted to her personal squadron, having worked her way up to commander._

 _"The Planet's last and only defense!" they shouted in unison right back at her._

 _"Will we run?"_

 _"No Sir!"_

 _"Will we accept defeat?" she continued_ _rhythmically_

 _"No Sir!"_

 _Then the first explosion hit, knocking most of her soldiers off their feet. Frieza had arrived, and it was time to get to work._

 _The scene suddenly changed, she was now fighting alone, her entire squad had been dispersed and picked off one by one. She knew that her power level was exceptionally higher than most, but she was certain her soldiers could handle themselves. She was wrong, her judgement had been wrong and now their blood was on her hands._

She awoke with a bit of a start at a grating noise in her ear. It sounded like metal on metal. There were lights flashing and alarms blaring, signalling an emergency. Frieza, usually calm and composed, seemed a bit panicked.

She hopped up and ran over to him, concerned for the safety of the ship, because if it went, she was a goner.

"Sir, I know you told me not to speak out of turn, but may I inquire what is going on?" she asked as politely as she could muster.

Frieza glared at the Zandonian woman standing before him,

"Strike two, but I will tell you. The ship got trapped within the orbit of a gas giant, this particular planet just so happens to have a rather dangerous asteroid field surrounding it."

Adalina smiled at him,

"Lucky for you, I have been in this exact predicament before. Where is your command center?"

Frieza resisted the urge to hit the smug young woman, deciding instead to humor her. She was smart, part of the reason he had captured her in the first place.

"Follow me. If you mess this up I will have your head." his words were cold, and she knew that he did not jest. She wasn't worried though, everything would be fine.

They made haste to the control room where aliens of all different shapes and sizes were panicking as they attempted to pull the ship from the asteroid field.

"Listen up! You are to heed this woman's commands as if they were my own, do I make myself clear?" Frieza barked out, catching everyone's attention. One alien carrying a stack of papers rolled his eyes, thinking no-one could see him.

Frieza glared and shot a beam of energy at the alien, eviscerating him, but not the files. The tyrant had to smile at that, he was just too good sometimes.

Adalina forced herself to ignore the brutal display as she stood in the center of the room, hands behind her back and a small smile on her face. She looked sweet, and yet fierce at the same time.

"Alright, does this ship have tether lines?"

"Yes Ma'am!" an alien with an elongated green head replied.

"That's Sir to you, Ma'am is for mothers. Now, I need you to find this planet's moon and lock onto it." Adalina commanded in a strong voice, taking her back to her days in the military.

They did as told, finding the planet's only moon and locking onto it with the ship's aiming mechanism.

"Fire the tethers and pull the ship towards that moon, the gravity will be much weaker there and if done right, the ship will swing in a pendulum around the moon. When that happens I want you to detach the tethers and enter hyper-speed as quickly as possible. Did everyone catch that? I will not be repeating myself. Failure is not an option."

A resounding, 'Yes Sir!' was heard through-out the cabin as they set their daring plan into action. They waited for the ship to come close to the moon and fired the tethers. The momentum of the space-craft, paired with the pulling motion of the tethers, caused the ship to swing out and around towards the moon. The worker in charge of the tethers pressed the release button and then the one in charge of the hyper-speed quickly docked in new coordinates.

The ship took off, taking another route to their destination.

The alarms stopped blaring and all emergency protocols stopped, relieving everyone on board. Frieza, however, was shocked. He had no idea that his little prize was capable of commanding so well. She was fierce with her words and unwavering in her confidence. She would make a fine soldier one day, once he beat that silly little rebellious streak out of her.

"Now make sure this doesn't happen again or I will be inclinded to replace you all, and that would mean a messy end, now wouldn't it?" Frieza drawled out sadistically, watching as his men practically wet themselves.

"Y-yes sir!" they replied in unison.

The tyrant smirked and turned to leave, not saying another word until he and Adalina were in the hallway once again.

"You show great potential."

"I will not work for you. I only protected the ship because it is my only shelter." Adalina replied coolly, her confidence burbling to the surface once more.

Frieza growled, he had warned her hadn't he? Did she have a death wish? No one spoke to Lord Frieza in such a tone. When the door to his throne room hissed open he smirked,

"That's strike three." he chuckled sadistically as he grabbed her turquoise locks and tossed her into the room.

 _ **A/N: I'm sure you can imagine what's happening. Oh no, it's not a beating or anything, they're having cookies and talking about their nails. Next Chapter: Adalina comes to a shocking revelation.**_


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter Four_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

He backhanded her across the face, causing her little pain. Didn't he know that she was a whole hell of a lot more durable than the other cretins he tossed around? She didn't react when he kicked her across the room either.

He growled when he saw that she was not effected in the slightest. He was trying to hold himself back, but this was ridiculous, she wasn't even phased! He stomped over to her fallen form, snatching her up by the neck. He lifted her by the throat, loving that he could actually raise her short stature above his head.

"You will do as I say. I am leagues above you, it is impossible for you to defy me. You will never escape me." he drawled out in a low tenor, his voice sending shivers down her spine.

"I'll out-live you." she managed to grind out through the constricting hold on her wind-pipe.

He smirked as if he knew some secret she didn't,

"My dear, our life spans are nearly the same. My species can live for hundreds of years. I was merely surprised when you told me because I did not expect to find another species with such longevity." his grip tightened, cutting off her air completely.

Adalina writhed in his grip in an attempt to breath, but she could not. Her vision was fading and she was panicking. Her aura flared to life, the electric crackle catching Frieza off guard and causing him to release her.

It was gone as quickly as it came, leaving Adalina to cough and sputter on the floor,

"I-I have no idea what that was." she mumbled when Frieza glared at her, his eyes demanding an answer. He felt inclined not to believe her words, but he had wanted her _because_ of her unstable and developing powers.

"Tch. You would be wise to watch yourself, because next time I will not be so forgiving. Is that clear?"

She nodded slowly,

"Crystal."

Frieza noted the rebellious tone she held but decided that it wasn't worth his time to berate her anymore. She would learn to submit in time, no one could resist him for very long. He would have her under his control, even if he had to resort to drastic measures.

Adalina ignored him for the rest of the day..if it even was day. She merely sat in the same spot with her head down, occasionally looking up to see what he was doing. She looked up to see Frieza frazzled, and felt an odd tinge of sympathy for the tyrant. He seemed stressed out, and she could only speculate the reasons why. He _did_ own most of the galaxy,and keeping track of that many people at such a (presumably) young age, would be enough to drive anyone mad.

"Are you, um, are you alright?" she had meekly dared to ask. It was in her nature to worry, no matter how bad the person was.

"What did I tell you about speaking out of turn?" he answered in a tired voice, one that didn't seem too threatening.

"I-" she closed her mouth, piecing together what she wanted to say,"I hope that whatever it is sorts itself out." she was treading as lightly as she could, making sure she didn't say the wrong words, lest his famous temper show through.

Frieza did not answer her, choosing instead to stare out the window in mild shock. Was she showing concern? For him? What a useless emotion, it would definitely need to be smothered. Though, he had felt something twinge inside him at her words. _Probably anger_ , he surmised.

"I'm tired. Come." she resisted the urge to roll her eyes, _he always says, 'come'_ , and instead opted to ask a question.

"I know I'm speaking out of turn," _not really since he addressed me,_ " but, may I ask if I could have a cot placed in your quarters? It's tiring to levitate all night, and in my culture it is disrespectful to sleep on the floor."

Frieza seemed to mull this over. He had been planning to get her a cot in the first place, and it might placate her if he did so. If he could satisfy her, maybe she would be one step closer to taking a place amongst his army. _First the carrot, then the stick_ , he though menacingly as he smirked.

"That can be arranged." he answered coldly, not belaying his true intentions.

"Thank you, Lord Frieza." she addressed him properly, to show her gratitude. She had expected a harsh reprimand, so she was mildly surprised by his answer.

He pressed a button on the odd device he was wearing and spoke into it,

"Zarbon, have a cot brought to my quarters immediately." his words were stern and commanding.

The rest of the walk was silent, neither one saying a word to the other. Adalina couldn't help but ponder the predicament she was in. Her planet had been purged and now she was theoretically glued to the one who had ordered it. Most of her race had been wiped out and she was doomed to a life of servitude, but somehow, she would make the most out of it. She would escape and go live on another planet. She wasn't a vengeful person, so revenge was out of the question, no, she would live out her days peacefully.

Adalina made sure to stop herself before bumping into the tyrant, fearing a repeat would not heed such lenient results as last time. The door hissed open, and Adalina almost thought it sounded like a snake, a foreboding sound that meant she was entering its den.

She was pleasantly surprised to see a cot placed against the far wall where she had slept before, with comfortable looking pillows and a heavy blanket. She would get a good night's rest hopefully.

She was just about to fall into her new 'bed' when she felt something creep along her leg. She froze in her spot and looked down, shocked at what she saw. Frieza's tail was wrapped around her calf as he walked forward, stopping directly in front of her,

"I never did get a chance to explore your physiology and see just how useful you could be." he said at her mortified stare, as if he was justified.

He studied her like someone would livestock, occasionally grabbing muscles or hair, but nothing more than fleeting touches,

"You're an odd species." he commented bluntly, uncoiling his tail and taking a step back, "Were you born weak?"

She stumbled for an answer, was it that noticeable? How could he know something like that from a simple field study,

"Yes, I was born prematurely and without a tail." she answered hesitantly, hoping that he didn't see that as a weakness and decide to end her existence right then and there.

Frieza made an expression like a light-bulb had gone off in his head,

"How could I have missed that? Your species does have a tail, and you do not." it was almost as if he were pondering something. She couldn't quite place the emotions that passed his face as he slowly turned from her and clambered into bed.

Adalina curled up in her bed, snuggling into her covers as if they were her last salvation.

She felt like crying when she realized how powerless she was. Escape was most likely futile, but it wouldn't hurt to try...well, it probably _would_ hurt if her attempts were unsuccessful. She didn't want to imagine what the temperamental tyrant would do to her if she tried escaping. Perhaps she should just ride it out and see where she landed?

No, she would stick to her plan; get on his good side, begin training, and hopefully become powerful enough to force her way out.

Frieza smirked as he caught snippets of the Zandonian's thoughts; apparently she had yet to figure out he was a powerful telepath. He wouldn't allow her the chance to escape, even if she became just as powerful as he. He would make sure she never left.

He resisted the urge to chuckle as more thoughts ran through the woman's head, ones of escape, battle, and even suicide...all futile. He would not let such a capable soldier out of his hands, she could become more powerful than Zarbon or Dodoria ever dreamed of.

Adalina finally drifted to sleep, forgetting her dreadful position as she prepared for a new day.

 _ **A/N: Uh oh, caught red handed, however will our Adalina escape now? Or will she escape at all? I have also realized that it is increasingly difficult to post links anywhere on Fanfiction, so I'll try and work on that! I'll post my deviantart username, and you can search dA for me.  
dA: kurokagamiimeji **_


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter Five_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

They would be docking today. It was a trading planet called Zervaras, the people were nice and very willing to give their resources to Frieza, so as to not be on his bad side. They would be on the planet for a maximum of 4 hours, and during that time Adalina was not to leave Frieza's side.

But this could be her chance, her one and only chance to escape without engaging in any fight. She wasn't entirely sure how she would do it yet, but she _did_ know how to fly a variety of spacecraft, and surely there had to be something she could procure on the planet. It had been a week since she had been 'recruited' and she was beginning to feel antsy.

Frieza was a monster, he had no regard for anyone's feelings. In her time spent with him she had, however, learned that his relationship with his father was rocky and border-line abusive at times. King Cold was cruel,and had no doubt been responsible for his son's cold demeanor. But, who was she to care? It was nearly impossible to fix someone like that.

"Are you listening to me?" Frieza's harsh voice cut in.

"Yes." she wasn't lying either, it was hard to ignore him.

The tyrant had his arms crossed, tapping his black nails on his bicep impatiently. His dark lips were set in a scowl as he eyed her,

"Then look at me when I'm talking to you." Adalina had a nasty habit of avoiding eye-contact with the Arcosian, and it was apparently beginning to grind on his nerves. To emphasize his statement he gripped the Zandonian by her chin and jerked her head towards him, "That wasn't so hard, now, was it." he released her roughly, leaving her to glare at him.

"There was no need for that." she mumbled.

"What was that? Care to say it a little louder?" Frieza was on his last nerve after his earlier call with his father, and his little pet wasn't making it any better with her attitude. He was holding himself back, resisting the urge to beat her senseless.

Adalina mustered up the courage to repeat her words a little louder, growing weary of being pushed around,

"I said there was no need for that, you could have just asked me nicely." she held her head high and looked down at him, hoping to up her intimidating factor.

Frieza growled, a quick menacing sound as he gripped her by a lock of her deep turqoise hair and pulled her down to his level, which wasn't very far,

"I will do what I please. I do not 'ask nicely' and I do not give others as many chances as you have gotten. I would suggest you remember who the stronger one of us is, lest you get a thrashing." he released her and turned away, choosing to stare out of his bubble port instead.

Adalina ran a hand through her hair to try and dislodge the feeling of it being tugged so roughly. She found it odd that he always threatened her with beatings and the like, but he never fell through with it, well, never serious ones. She had watched him obliterate others just for looking at him the wrong way, and here she was back-talking him and maybe getting hit a few times. Even then, his hits didn't hurt too badly, and she knew he was trying to hold himself back, but, why? Was he afraid of accidentally killing her?

She sighed lightly, catching the attention of the tyrant. He glanced towards her as she leaned against the wall, looking out at the star-filled abyss of space with a longing in her eyes. Something knotted in his stomach, and he couldn't quite place the emotion but brushed it off as some form of disgust or anger.

The ship had docked successfully and Frieza's soldiers were running about the planet, gathering supplies and terrorizing the natives. Frieza was still on the ship, along with Adalina,

"Vegeta, come here." the tyrant said over his scouter.

Vegeta? That was definitely a Saiyan, and a royal one at that. How come this was the first she was hearing of him?

Frieza turned to her with a harsh glare already etched onto his features,

"You will not speak to him. I don't want you putting any stupid ideas into his head."

Adalina merely nodded, not wanting to upset the tyrant any more than she already had. She was curious, though, as to who this person could be. She took a spot leaning against the wall beside Frieza in his hover chair, facing the entrance.

It was nearly five minutes before the door hissed open, producing a pint-sized Saiyan, the Prince no doubt, his childish features twisted into a glare that could make a seasoned warrior tremble at his feet. His hair was spiked straight up, rooted to his head by a harsh widow's peak. He had a miniature scouter on his his head, and it was pointed directly at her.

"There's no point in that boy, she's hiding her true power." Frieza said lazily as he too noticed the young Saiyan attempting to scan the Zandonian," I commend you for your efforts, however."

Vegeta glowered and dropped into a low bow,

"What did you need, my lord?" he said in a moderately loud voice.

"It would seem that Raditz has encountered some trouble on the field, I have also informed Nappa of the situation. Go help him." Frieza commanded, every word dripping with authority.

The young Saiyan grimaced and stood up,

"You should just let that third class rubbish die out there." Adalina's eyes widened at the child's harsh words, and she found herself speaking before she could stop herself.

"How awful. If I'm correct, Raditz is a Saiyan name, which means you two are of the same race and there are not many of you left. Heirarchy shouldn't matter when your race is nearly non-existent." the words tumbled out of her mouth in a stern matter as she adopted the same voice she lectured her soldiers with. She knew there would be consequences for her actions, but she didn't care. That young boy needed somebody to guide him, and Frieza definitely wasn't the person for the job.

But, why did she care? She would be gone soon anyway.

Vegeta glared at the woman who dared to adress him in such a manner,

"You know nothing of my race, woman, so keep your mouth shut."

Adalina took a threatening step forward,

"You would be wise to never address me in that tone again, boy, you have no idea who you're speaking to." Her tone was reminiscient of a mother scolding their child, and to some, that's what it may have looked like.

Frieza blinked, not knowing how to react to the events unfolding in front of him. He was definitely surprised when Vegeta lunged at Adalina with a fist, aiming for the Zandonian's face. He wouldn't stop it, no, he was too curious for that.

Adalina was impressed, the kid definitely had been formerly trained, probably since birth by the looks of it. But, he had to be around five or so, and she was more than prepared to catch the tiny fist flying straight her.

Vegeta's eyes went wide when he realized his punch had been halted and that his hand was now firmly gripped in the Zandonian's. Adalina lightly tossed him, just hard enough for him to land on his bottom and skid across the floor a few inches.

"Vegeta, do as you were told, right now." Frieza spat.

The young prince stormed out of the thrown room, sending a deadly glare at Adalina, his pride a little torn.

Once Frieza was sure he was out of the ship speeding towards his objective, he slowly rose from his hover chair and levitated down to the floor, stopping in front of Adalina.

Adalina would have backed up, had she not already been leaning against the wall. The look he was giving her was dangerous, and she didn't like it,

"While I do appreciate you beating his prideful nature down, it would not have happened had you not deliberately disobeyed me." his voice was rising in volume with every word, a crescendo of anger, "I warned you and you did not listen. Nothing makes me more angry than someone lower than myself ignoring my orders."

His hand went to her throat, instantly constricting her wind pipe, his nails digging into her skin. She found it difficult to breath and realized that she was experiencing Frieza's true anger for the first time. He lifted her up and used his other hand to form a small ki blast, aiming it for her shoulder.

Just as he was about to release his pent up anger, a panicked voice exploded over his scouter,

"Lord Frieza, this isn't a native, he's much stronger than he looks. Zarbon, Dodoria, Vegeta, and Nappa are all unconscious." it was Raditz, who was obviously cowering away from the action.

Frieza growled and threw Adalina across the room, leaving a dent in the wall and knocking the non-existent breath from the Zandonian. She sputtered and coughed, attempting to get her lungs working properly again.

"We're leaving." Frieza commanded as he began walking out the door, "Stand up and follow me!" he shouted when she didn't respond.

Adalina gathered herself from her position on the floor and jogged to catch up with the menacing tyrant. He had actually hurt her, not that she hadn't been expecting it, but even so, she hadn't thought he would strangle her so violently and throw her hard enough to dent a metal wall.

They reached the already-open hatch and jumped from the ship onto the planet's deep crimson grass. They ascended towards the deep blue-black sky, the small sun providing enough heat for the planet to be tropical, but not enough light to brighten the horizon.

Frieza could have cared less if the young woman could keep up with his top speed, in fact, he wasn't even looking to see if she followed, his thoughts were on other things...like the enormous power level he was heading towards. Of course, such a power level would be easy to over-come, for him at least.

Adalina stayed back quite a distance, this was her chance. Frieza was paying her no mind, he definitely wouldn't notice if she left him. She couldn't believe it, she would be gone in no time if she could locate a ship at the docking station.

She quickly pivoted in mid-air and started heading towards the far end of the station where it looked like the personal ships were docked. She traveled as quickly as she could muster and was at her destination in mere seconds.

There were a striking array of ships, and to her absolute and utter shock, she spotted a ship that looked as if it had originated on her home planet. Of course someone had most likely bought it from her home-planet, as they were quite popular models. Her people had escaped to a planet quite far from Zervaras, so there was a slim chance it was a fellow Zandonian's space-craft, which meant she had no qualms about stealing it.

She quietly snuck over to the ship, inspecting it to find the best way on.

Frieza was absolutely livid. He had disposed of the 'threat' rather quickly. It was a boy, not yet a man, with creamy white skin and hair, giving him cause to think he might be from an icy planet, and given his humanoid characteristics, he most likely had hailed from the same galaxy, and the only icy planet he could think of was Pluto. But that was not what had him angry.

His pet was gone. He hadn't been paying enough attention to her and she had escaped him. He had realized it as soon as he landed and had dealt with the powerful boy with one swift blow, leaving a devastating crater in the planet.

He was flying at top speeds towards the power-level he recognized as hers, only growing angrier the closer he got. She was at the docking station, no doubt attempting to find a way off the planet.

He wouldn't let her slip through his fingers though. She was a valuable asset, and more powerful than she herself knew. Oh the things he was going to do to her once he got his hands on her. He would torture her until she begged for mercy, and even then he might not stop himself.

Adalina was underneath the ship, pulling wires out and reconnecting them as quickly and as effeciently as she could muster, trying not to arouse suspiscion. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach, like something horrible was bound to happen. She continued at a faster pace, desperately trying to get the hatch open. If she could just get in the ship she would be gone in no time.

"You miserable wench!" A very angry and very recognizable voice cut through the air like a sharp knife.

She had been caught, and there would be hell to pay.

 _ **A/N: Oooo oh no, what's she gonna do now? Probably get rekt.**_

 _ **Definitely get rekt.**_

 ** _As always, if any of you want to see a picture of Adalina, or any characters down the road, the instructions to do so are on my profile!_**


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter Six_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

She was roughly jerked from underneath the spacecraft, the world passing by her in a warped image as she flew through the air. She was stopped when she collided with a sharp cliff face, the edges tearing into her shoulder-blades and reminding her of a time long ago.

The spectators looked on with fear dancing in their eyes as Frieza advanced towards the fallen woman. His eyes burned with a rage that seemed as if it would sear one straight to the bone if he looked at them directly.

"I warned you, and still you did not listen!" his voice pierced her very core, sending waves of terror through her body. Her plan had failed, and surely she would not live long enough to concoct another one.

No, he wouldn't kill her, but she would probably wish he had.

Her fight or flight instinct kicked in and she wasn't sure which one she should choose. She wouldn't get far if she tried to run, but dammit she would be maimed if she tried to fight him! She shook her head and stood on steady feet, determination brimming in her eyes once more. She could do this, she could fight him.

Frieza resisted the urge to scoff, was she really standing to fight him? How absurd, he would have her on the ground in mere seconds. It would be no challenge to him, he would beat her within an inch of her life, take her to the ship, and then torture her until she couldn't see straight.

Yes, he rather liked the idea of watching her beg for mercy at his feet.

Something twisted in his gut once more, that damned feeling, as he saw deep magenta blood staining the ground below her. It wasn't a life threatening wound, so he was free to bash her around for a little longer without having to worry about his 'precious' cargo being broken.

"I'm not going down without a fight." Adalina's voice had taken on an entirely different tone, dropping down to a deadly alto. Frieza had to admit, she could be intimidating when she wanted to, but it didn't work on him at all.

The young woman threw a punch at the tyrant and to everyone's complete and utter shock, it connected with his face. The shock only lasted mere moments, however, as Frieza began chuckling.

"You'll have to do much better than that if you hope to do any damage to me." his voice was condescendingly sweet; he was mocking her. She went to pull her hand back but Frieza caught her by the wrist in a death grip. He pulled her close so that their faces were mere inches apart," I told you I would break you." he whispered lowly.

The next moment found Adalina in the air, rubbing her sore wrist but satisfied that she had managed to over-power his grip. Frieza was staring at her with an odd mixture of anger and satisfaction.

"You want all I've got? I'm not sure you do." she was a lot stronger than people gave her credit for. Even when she had fought against Frieza's soldiers on her home planet she hadn't been at full power until she gathered that ball of energy.

She contemplated using that amount of power, she was almost certain there was a chance she could control it long enough to knock Frieza down a few notches and then make a run for it.

"Don't hold back, girl, if you manage to give me a good fight I may consider not torturing you."

Adalina went rigid at his words, she didn't do well with any form of torture and the thought terrified her because she was certain that the cold tyrant would be creative in his methods. She had to show her worth, then.

She began powering up with a yell, pushing herself to her limits and trying like hell to keep her energy in check. She wouldn't be put down, no matter how powerful he was. She was a commander, one of the toughest on her planet! She wouldn't be tossed aside like some petty object.

Frieza couldn't contain his excitement, the numbers on his scouter continued sky-rocketing, and he almost thought the blasted thing would explode from the strain. She was more powerful than he could have imagined; he had made a wonderful choice indeed!

Adalina gasped as she felt her chest constrict; she was wrong, she couldn't stay in that form for long, she was going to collapse before she could land a hit if she continued down the path she was on.

Frieza noticed as well, her power level hit a high peak, a little stronger than his current form, but then began rapidly descending. She couldn't contain the power she possessed, though he was sure she could most certainly be trained to. However, she had not given him the fight he had been looking forward to, and he was livid. She deserved what was coming for her.

Adalina relented and dropped back down to her normal state as she landed on the ground. Her legs were trembling and she fell to her knees, her vision blurring. She was trying her hardest to stay conscious but her efforts were failing as she dropped to the ground on her back.

The tyrant landed in front of the fallen woman and gave her a harsh kick,

"Wake up, torture is no fun if I can't hear you scream."* he spat menacingly.

Adalina was wide-awake and in quite a deal of pain. His kick had sprawled her onto her stomach, her back exposed and vulnerable. The cold tyrant wasted no time in grinding his foot into one of her open wounds, eliciting a scream from the warrior.

Frieza was delighted, he hadn't heard her scream in such a way before, and it was riveting. He wanted to hear it over and over again. He ground his foot deeper, causing fresh blood to bubble to the surface, coating his three toes.

"S-stop, I'm sorry!" she ground out, "Please." she wasn't beneath begging for mercy, not one bit, though he probably enjoyed her helpless expression as she groveled at his feet.

She was absolutely correct, the tyrant loved every second that went by, the tear-filled gaze, her face twisting in agony each time his foot fell upon a new wound, and now she was begging for mercy, how delightful.

He wasn't done hearing her scream though.

Frieza crouched down and gently placed his index finger under her chin, tilting her head up until their eyes met. His expression almost looked as if he was trying to seduce or calm her, but she knew it was merely some sick game he was playing. But, there was something in his eyes, apprehension maybe? Guilt? Perhaps he didn't enjoy torture as much as he said he did.

Her mind flashed back to a scene a day or so ago, Frieza cowering as his father berated on some silly matter or another over the holophone,

"You must be ruthless, Frieza! If you show mercy your enemies will see it as a weakness. Destroy that planet or I will do it myself."

"Yes father." was all he said in response, his voice quiet and low.

 _Slap!_

Frieza's hand connected with her cheek as he roughly back-handed her, whipping her head to the side. She could taste blood in her mouth; he had busted her lip. the magenta colored liquid was now dribbling from one corner of her mouth, forming a trail down her jaw.

Frieza had released her chin when he smacked her but was now gripping her electric blue locks. He pulled her to her feet by her hair, causing her to hiss in pain. He pulled his fist back and was preparing to strike when Adalina decided she had had enough.

Her aura exploded in a blinding flash of teal light and her eyes took on the same eerie red tone they had when she had faced Zarbon. Frieza was too distracted by his exploded scouter to notice that Adalina had wiggled out of his grip and was now advancing towards him.

He couldn't stop her as she gripped him by the throat, squeezing just hard enough to cut off the flow of blood to his head. She was actually over-powering him! How marvelous, this was what he was looking for, most certainly.

She tossed him through a cliff-facing, exploding the formation upon impact. She wasn't messing around anymore, she was fighting for her life.

Frieza pulled himself from the rubble and stood, but was surprised to see Adalina standing directly in front of him, almost as if in a daze.

"It would seem your body has gone on auto-pilot, you have no idea what's going on, do you?"

When he received no response he assumed he was correct; she had no control over what was going on. He quickly got behind her and formed his hand into a blade, executing just enough force at the base of her neck to knock her out.

He caught her body as it fell ,throwing her over his shoulder. She wasn't in bad enough shape to need a healing pod, but would most certainly need medical attention.

He took off towards the ship, ignoring the confused and terrified expressions of the natives.

* * *

Adalina opened her bleary eyes and found that she was back on the ship, in her cot. Her back felt heavy and she was acutely aware of the bandages that adorned her body. Her wounds didn't hurt all that much, and would heal quickly with her regeneration rate.

"Are you awake?" a voice she never hoped to hear again spoke as a short figure emerged from the darkness of the room, his silouhette coming into sharp contrast as the light from the odd glowing orb cast color onto his form.

"Stay away from me, you monster." she had sat up at this point and was now cowering against the wall her cot was situated on, wrapping her covers tightly about herself.

Frieza closed his eyes and sighed, and Adalina thought he almost sounded guilty... _almost_ ,

"I'm not going to hurt you as long as you listen to me. Do not interrupt." he opened his eyes, his face belaying no emotion, "I have decided to begin your training, the power you posess is too dangerous and potentially lethal to leave unchecked. It's like giving a young child a loaded gun, they don't know how to use it and could accidentally pull the trigger. I will be training you personally as you are far too powerful for anyone else."

Adalina had no retort, and was a little relieved that she would soon be able to tap into the enormous power inside her.

Frieza turned from her, it was late and he wanted to sleep as well. His mind had been running circles since their 'fight' and he wasn't sure what to do with the information.

The Zandonian's voice reached his ears, stopping him in his tracks,

"Thank you for deciding to train me. I'm sorry for trying to escape and causing more stress for you than necessary." she shouldn't have been apologizing after what he had done, but it was in her nature. She was expecting a snide remark or more pain but when his words hit her, she was speechless.

"I shouldn't have lost my temper like that." it was true, he could have killed her, and then everything would have been for naught, "Now, go to sleep, your training starts tomorrow."

Adalina did as told, laying down, but a single thought prevailed in her mind. Frieza was flexible, _moldable_ ; he had changed -only barely- since they had met, but she had noticed. What kind of person would he become if he had someone at his side to help him decide right from wrong? Perhaps it was a silly thought, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

She had made up her mind, she would become his moral compass.

 _ **A/N: Boom. *This line is actually a variation of something Frieza said in Resurrection F, as at the time of this chapter's completion I had just gotten back from seeing it. Wonderful movie by the way. Anywho, Frieza is starting to change..a little. Don't worry guys, this won't be a sudden, "Oh Adalina, I'm so in love with youooo ~~ " thing, no, we all know Frieza is much too ruthless for that. It will take a couple years for him to even realize what those odd 'twinges' are. I'm also going to try and have a new chapter up every Monday, school just started for me, but I'm a Senior so I don't have a lot to do, meaning I should be able to update regularly, unless marching band gets in the chapter: An Assassin breaks into the ship.**_


	7. Chapter 7

_Chapter Seven_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

"Just a little longer and you'll have made it past the previous day's time." Frieza commanded as he stood in front of Adalina, who was levitating mid-air air in a cross-legged position, channeling her power.

Her eyes were an eerie red, as had become the norm for when she powered up to the state she was in. She had been in the state for two hours and it was only now starting to take its toll on her.

"I-I don't know if I can." the Zandonian ground out. Sure she had come a long way in the month and a half that had passed since Frieza had started training her, but some days she couldn't bring herself to beat her previous record. It shouldn't be that hard to work herself up to a new level and learn to regulate it, according to Frieza.

"Yes you can, do not give up now, my threat still stands if you do." he smirked as he saw her shoulders tense. Frieza had learned a lot in the past month and a half as well, like how his little pet didn't bat an eye-lash at physical threats, for the most part, but when threatened with chores she suddenly becomes very motivated.

Not just any chores either, the hardest ones he could find, today it was cleaning the windows of the ship, inside and out. Honestly, it had seemed ridiculous to him at first, but after he had realized it was actually effective, he was ecstatic. They had made a lot of progress after he had made her clean the interrogation room following a particularly nasty questioning session.

Adalina really hated chores, and it didn't help that Frieza made her do the most dangerous and/or disgusting ones he could think of. It was one hell of a motivator though, since she could care less if he smacked her around, she knew he wouldn't kill her.

She pushed herself a little further, raising her power level higher and higher until she couldn't take it any longer. She dropped back down to her resting power level and slowly unfolded her legs and dropped to the ground. She felt a bit shaky after, but it wasn't as bad as usual, which meant she was getting somewhere.

"You're lucky, you went two hours and five minutes today." Frieza commented as he glared at the stop-watch on his HUD from his hover-chair.

"Five minutes? You're sure? It felt longer than that." she was panting but managed to speak between her heavy breathing.

"The time does not lie, just because I don't threaten you with violence anymore does not mean I'm against beating you for irritating me." he sounded a bit impatient, but that was to be expected. He had been training her since 5 am, and it was a little over 6 pm at the current time. He would train her in combat techniques in the morning and in the afternoon they would work on regulating her power level while he worked on business inquiries. Adalina was a bit irritated as well, but that tended to happen when two people spent too much time together.

She rolled her eyes, and the gesture did not go unnoticed by the tyrant,

"I would refrain from doing that if you enjoy your eye-sight." he spat, "Now get out of here, I have work to do."

She ignored his hostility, as she had been doing recently,

"Goodnight, I probably won't see you before I fall asleep." she threw over her shoulder as she exited. Frieza didn't reply and she didn't expect him to, she had been trying to instill some morality into him, but they were baby-steps.

She continued on her path towards 'their' room, glad that he had given her a bit of freedom since they had started training. She was allowed to visit the cafeteria, his room, the throne room, and the infirmary. It wasn't a lot of freedom considering the size of the ship, but she wasn't adventerous enough to even want to go anywhere else. Though, she did occasionally sneak to Vegeta's room to take him sweets or chat with him. He was a ruthless little boy, but he was still a little boy that clung to her like a child would his mother.

She smiled as she changed directions, heading towards the young Prince's room instead. She hadn't seen Vegeta in two days and a visit was long over-due, no matter how much he pretended to hate her presence.

It was a short trip and before long she was standing in front of his door, knocking lightly.

The door hissed open to reveal Vegeta, looking as proud as ever,

"What do you want this time woman?"

She stepped past him and into his room,

"I just came to visit; how was your mission?"

He took a seat on his bed and Adalina followed suit, sitting beside him like they always did. He crossed his arms over his little chest, a hard look on his face,

"Fine. The opponents weren't strong enough though. While I do enjoy mindlessly slaughtering hoards of people, I would much rather have a challenging fight." Adalina noticed the sarcasm in his voice, feeling a bit proud that she had made a difference in his life. A month ago he would have actually meant it, but now he was beginning to see that Frieza was an absolute terror and not the greatest 'mentor'.

She would never tell him that his planet was blown to bits, however, she wold allow him to continue thinking it was hit by a meteor, lest he get some stupid idea of revenge in his head. While he may have a chance at handling the tyrant when he was older, she didn't wanna take any chances.

"Maybe Frieza will let us spar some day, I promise I'll give you a good challenge." Adalina said with a small smile as she looked down at the boy.

"I'll make sure I win, you won't best me a second time." Vegeta had to admit, the prospect of a 'rematch' with Adalina sounded appealing, "And you sure do address our Lordship without his proper title quite often, do you have a death wish?"

She laughed a bit at that,

"I've only said it once to his face, and besides, he won't kill me, not yet anyway." she was confident in her words, Frieza was honing her into a sharp blade, he wouldn't kill her and ignore all the work he'd put in.

"If you say so, don't come begging for my help when he finally decides he's had enough of you." the Prince had a smug look on his face; he enjoyed teasing the older woman because he knew she would play along.

"Of course I will, you're my only hope, my only savior." she clasped her hands and became starry-eyed like a damsel in distress, "You're my prince charming."

He actually cracked a smile at her antics, but tried to hide it. It was too late though, Adalina had caught it and was smiling too, glad that she was able to humor him. She lightly ruffled the young boy's hair, much to his displeasure.

"You wouldn't like it if I did that to you."

"You're not tall enough." she retorted, irking his pride a bit.

He reached for her head and she stood, towering over his sitting form. He stood up as well, not making much of a difference. He glared but his look of distaste suddenly became smug as he hopped into the air and flew to her eye level.

He reached out a hand and roughly ruffled her hair, but jumped back down to the floor before she could catch him,

"Ow, jeez, at least I wasn't rough."

Vegeta smirked and turned his nose up at her,

"Serves you right."

She was about to reply when Vegeta put a finger to his lips, tapping his scouter. He beckoned Adalina closer so that she could hear as well,

"Urgent message! There has been a security breach, be on the look out, soldiers." that was most certainly Zarbon. He had sent an all-call over the scouters to ensure that the intruder wasn't aware that they knew he or she was on board the ship, more than likely.

"I better get to Frieza's room then, my scouter's in there." she sighed,"Take care, Vegeta."

"You do the same, Adalina." she smiled, he was one of the only ones who addressed her by her name, Frieza had yet to even say it.

She shook her head and dashed out of the room, hurrying to Frieza's room, which wasn't far off. Hopefully she didn't run into the intruder, she was still a bit weak from her training and wouldn't be at full power for another few minutes.

She passed soldiers running about, attempting to find the intruder; so much for subtly. She sighed at their inability to understand what Zarbon had tried to do, but figured it wasn't her problem.

She finally reached her destination, relieved to hear the door hissing open at her arrival. She sighed as she passed the threshhold, allowing the door to close behind her. Her heart was beating a little faster than usual, and something seemed off, but she paid it no mind. She _had_ just escaped potentially getting caught being in an unauthorized part of the ship.

Yeah that's what it was, adrenaline.

Adalina waltzed over to the the side table that her purple-lensed scouter was situated on and equipped the device, turning it on and listening to the many conversations passing through the ear piece.

She suddenly turned around, sensing a presence creeping up behind her. The shadowy figure put a finger to its lips and brandished a deadly looking black dagger. Adalina backed towards the door cautiously. Frieza had instructed her to contact him directly if she ever ran into any trouble on the ship and all things considered; this seemed like trouble.

She clicked the button on her scouter that instantly set up a direct link to the Arcosian,

"Frieza, I found the intruder and he doesn't look too friendly." so much for only saying it directly to him once.

Frieza ignored the informality and focused on the precautionary tone in his pet's voice; he had never heard her sound like that. She sounded genuinely disturbed.

Adalina didn't know what it was, but the figure standing before her sent a chill up her spine and made danger signals go off in her head. She moved the hand already on her scouter and pressed a button, trying to gauge his power level.

Nothing.

Nothing at all.

She fired a ki blast that the shadowy figure dodged, exploding her cot instead, and booked it back towards the door,

"I don't know what this thing is, but I'm bringing you a present." she said to Frieza as she dashed down the hallways, heading straight for the throne room. She occasionally spared a glance backwards to see that the thing was on her heals, and now that she was in better lighting she could tell that it looked male.

She had a bad feeling about him, and knew that she wouldn't be able to deal with him, so the next logical option was Frieza.

Her pursuer got a little too close so she turned and fired a small ki blast at his feet, tripping him up a bit and gaining her some extra time. The soldiers had made a path for them, avoiding them like the plague, for if Adalina was running scared they had no chance in hell at competing with the intruder.

She finally reached the throne room and was delighted to see that Frieza had planned ahead and already had the door wide open. She practically threw herself across the threshhold, running past Frieza to the farthest wall, below the bubble port.

The intruder ran in as well, but Frieza was in his way, smirking sadistically,

"That woman belongs to me-" he went silent as the intruder vanished suddenly.

The deadly silence didn't last long as Adalina screamed,

"Get off of me! How in the hell did you even get past him?"

Frieza turned around, shocked by what he saw.

Adalina was turned, facing him, her back against the intruder, an arm around her waist keeping her from fighting him and a glistening black dagger at her throat.

"I wouldn't struggle if I were you, this knife is made from obsidian, the sharpest material in the known universe. It cuts between cells instead of tearing them, one wrong move and you'll be bleeding out." his voice was rich and dark, sending a tingle up her spine once more as his cold breath hit her ear.

Frieza was an intelligent being and he knew when he should use physical force and when he should use his words.

This was one of those times.

"What do you want?" he questioned in a bored voice, "Money? A planet?"

"I want your empire, well, not me personally. My orders were to either kill this one, or get you to hand over your throne. Or, you know, both."

Frieza laughed,

"You honestly think you can use her as leverage against me?"

 _"Listen to me, girl, you need to get yourself out of there. It's too risky for me to try and intervene."_ Frieza sent a telepathic message to his pet, startling her a bit.

She wasn't aware of that particular ability, but didn't pay it any mind. She had to get herself out of there while avoiding that blade of his.

"Oh, really? Seems to me like she's your new prodigy. It would be a shame to lose her." to emphasize his point he applied the tiniest of pressures to the dagger in his hand, causing a small droplet of blood to bead to the surface.

Adalina didn't even notice, she felt nothing but warmth as the bead trickled down her throat when it became too heavy. That was a dangerous weapon indeed.

She took a deep breath, hoping it didn't cause the knife to bite into her skin anymore, and began increasing her power. This didn't go unnoticed by her captor,

"Don't be foolish, I'll have your throat slit before you can even lift a finger."

She ignored him and began gathering her energy at a much faster rate, her eyes taking on the infamous red glow that Frieza had seen so many times.

Adalina moved her arm so quickly that even Frieza had trouble following her movements as she grabbed the cloaked man by his collar and threw him above her head and onto the floor. She gathered a ki blast and quickly shot it at the man.

It was a direct hit, or so she thought from her vantage point.

Frieza, however, was once again speechless as the assassin vanished into thin air before the blast hit him. He also saw the terrified expression on his face, hopefully that meant he would not be making a return visit.

Adalina powered down before the quick transition could take a toll on her body. She turned towards Frieza with a bright smile on her face,

"Looks like I'm getting use to my power now, if only a little bit."

Frieza's eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he caught sight of his pet. She had done well, and yet, it seemed like it would be for naught.

No no, he couldn't lose her now, she was progressing so well, in a few months she would be able to control her abilites perfectly and maybe even unlock a new form. He couldn't let that go to waste, he had to move fast.

The sound of her rich magenta colored blood hitting the floor in an incessent pattern snapped him out of his daze,

"You need to sit down." he commanded but his voice came out a bit more panicked than he would have liked to let on.

Adalina looked at him oddly, and then she noticed it.

Warm blood was pouring down the left side of her neck, coating her white clothes in the substance and pooling on the floor at her feet. He must have knicked her when she tossed him. The fatigue finally hit her and she dropped to her bottom but found it hard to keep herself up.

Frieza leapt over to her fallen form and caught her upper body before it hit the ground, one hand supporting her neck while the other lightly tapped her cheek,

"Stay with me." her eyes were fluttering closed and he knew he needed to get her attention and keep her awake, "Adalina, look at me." he had been avoiding using her name and making their relationship too personal, but, to hell with it, she was dying and he needed to do something. Her eyes snapped to his, cloudy but surprised. That had done the trick.

He calmed himself and thought hard about what he needed to do, racking his brain for any feasible solution. Ah, he could try that, but, no, it could be risky. But letting her die was not an option he was ready to take,

"I need you to hold completely still, no matter what, do you understand me?"

She opened her mouth, but only barely,

"Y-yes." she managed to whisper; she was fading fast.

Frieza formed a blade of ki at the tip of his finger and pin-pointed the wound. For some reason, the amount of blood was making him light-headed, even though he had ripped organs from opponents before, without a care in the world.

He found it and quickly began cauterizing the wound, searing the artery and skin closed. Adalina screamed and he found that he didn't like her screaming anymore. That damned feeling in his gut twisted once more as she continued.

She didn't squirm, much to his relief.

Her screams died down as he felt her body go limp, whether it be from shock or blood loss, he knew not. He did, however, know that the bleeding had stopped.

She had lost two or so pints, which definitely wasn't healthy for her size, but she was resilient, and she would pull through.

He felt relief bubble inside him, something he didn't feel often, as her chest rose slightly.

The adrenaline in his veins began toning down as the situation stabilized, allowing him to actually _look_ at the scene before him. His hands were covered in blood, not something new to him, but for some reason it made him feel exceedingly dirty.

"Zarbon, get your ass in here right now." Frieza wasn't one for using profanity unless he was trying to stress the direness of a situation, and the situation at hand was becoming increasingly urgent.

While Adalina was still breathing, her skin had taken on a sickly pale color, nothing at all like the vibrant lilac she usually adorned. She would need stitches and medication to replenish the amount of blood she had lost. Good thing they had just acquired a full shipment of HemoX, the wonder drug that made transfusions obsolete.

"My Lord." Zarbon's eyes grew wide when they landed on the bloody mess at his feet, but he did not comment on it.

"Take her to the infirmary and get her treated then clean her off and put her to bed in my room, is that understood?" Frieza practically spat.

"Yes sir." Zarbon bent down to scoop the Zandonian woman up, not phased in the least as her blood got onto his hands. He cradled her bridal style so as to not disturb the wound on her neck.

"Keep her knees above her head, Zarbon." the irritable tyrant sounded angry and the green-skinned alien did not wish to insight his wrath any further.

Zarbon adjusted the girl in his arms, propping her knees up a little higher. Once he was sure the tyrant was satisfied he left the room, heading directly for the infirmary.

Frieza stood from his kneeling position and looked at the floor, glad for once that his flooring was sleek and easy to wipe clean.

"Dodoria, get someone to clean the throne room, there's quite a mess. And make sure the soldiers know that the intruder has been dealt with."

He didn't even bother acknowledging the response as he walked to a side-door containing his personal wash-room.

He turned on the sink and began scrubbing at his hands and arms, watching as the water took on a pink tinge before swirling down the drain.

His mind was racing with thoughts, like who had sent an assassin on board his ship. No doubt it was someone who wanted to possess the power he had over the universe, but who? The man had been eerie and had even sent a chill up his spine when he'd first laid eyes one him, leading him to believe it was something he had never encountered before. Of course, the man hadn't scared him, merely unnerved him.

His little pet had been very observant, it would seem. She had known something was off as well and had immediately brought the threat to him, knowing that she would get hurt or killed if she tried dealing with it. He had failed in that aspect, however, as she still ended up injured.

Though that was partially her fault for acting so brashly.

That same irritating feeling knotted in his chest once more, and he found that he still could not place the emotion. It was almost like disdain, but, different. Maybe he was angry at Adalina for not being able to fend for herself.

Yes, that was it.

The tyrant shut the water off when he realized his hands were clean and he had been aimlessly dousing them in water for quite some time. It wasn't often that he got lost in his own thoughts.

Frieza entered his throne room once more to find it in pristine condition, almost like nothing had happened. But he knew better, his pet had almost gotten killed, and that enraged him. How dare someone try to take what was his? She was his to mold and use for whatever purpose he saw fit and no one would take that from him.

He unclenched his fists, calming himself down. She was alive and that was all that mattered.

It was nearly an hour later when he heard Zarbon's voice come through his scouter,

"My lord, her cot was destroyed it would seem; where would you have me put her?"

He nearly replied with, 'the floor' but caught himself as he remembered why the girl had requested a cot in the first place. He sighed and relented, figuring it wouldn't hurt,

"Put her in my bed, but not in the middle, I still intend to sleep there."

Zarbon was shocked by his lord's words, never in a thousand years did he think that Frieza would be capable of sharing his bed with someone in a platonic manner. Sure he would bed concubines occasionally, but even then they were either killed or kicked out.

"Very well then." he replied, masking the surprise in his voice.

Frieza finished his tasks for the day thirty minutes after he had spoken with Zarbon, and he was almost dreading going to bed. He hadn't shared a bed with anyone since his mother had died, and that had been quite a long time ago.

He stifled a yawn with his delicate hand,

"To hell with it, I'm the most powerful being in the universe, I will not let such a simple thing unsettle me." he mumbled to himself as he climbed out of his hover-chair. He was beginning to regret his decision, his mind floating back to something he had said a month and a half ago.

He was trying to break her, not pamper her.

He sighed, no, he had already gained her allegiance it would seem, and gestures such as the one he was showing would only serve to fortify her obedience.

The walk back to his room seemed as if it took forever, but when he finally reached the door he almost wished it had taken longer.

He entered the room and found that the lights had already been dimmed, not that it mattered to him, he could see fine in the dark.

He removed his armor so that he was only wearing his bottoms, placing the haughty breast-plate into his personal cleaner. Frieza then proceeded to walk over to his bed where Adalina lay.

She was situated on one side on top of the covers, her hair splayed out onto the pillow. Her neck was wrapped in white gauze to protect the stitches underneath. He noticed for the first time that her ears were pointed; it was the first time he had been able to see them properly without her thick locks obscuring the view. Three bright green dots rested under each eye, another thing he had never really noticed.

He sighed heavily,

"He didn't even bother to put her under the covers, doesn't he know that I can't sleep without being covered? Why must he always make things difficult." he whispered under his breath angrily.

Frieza cautiously began pulling the duvet from underneath Adalina, trying not to wake her. Luckily for him, the Zandonian was a heavy sleeper and he was able to successfully pull the covers on top of her.

He settled down on the opposite side of the bed, as far from his pet as he could manage without falling off. There was a space just big enough for another person between them, which wasn't as far as he would have liked.

Frieza turned to face the wall, but noticed that he could still feel her presence behind him.

His last thought before going to sleep was,

 _"I could get use to this."_

 _ **A/N: Sorry if this one felt a little rushed, but this was the scene that first made me want to write this fic. (rushed? This one was 4000+ words) I just couldn't wait to actually get it onto a document. A little fun-fact for this chapter, obsidian is one of the sharpest (If not the sharpest) materials on Earth, and I figured that I would give a little shout-out to our home planet by making obsidian the sharpest thing in the known universe. It's also a little hint to where our assassin came from (not Earth, think fire and brimstone.) And bonus internet cookies to anyone who caught the joke in this one. Special shout-out to Chaosconetic for leaving me a really long review! Don't be intimidated by long reviews, I love em'!  
As always if you want to see Adalina, I've found that the easiest route is to type "Adalina, Dbz, OC" into the search bar of deviantart, it should be the first and only result.**_


	8. Chapter 8

_Chapter Eight_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

 _"Brother, no!" the scene was vague, but it was one she knew well._

 _It had been so long, though._

 _She watched as he was impaled through the chest with a broad sword right before her eyes, the scene forever engraved in the darkest recesses of her memory._

 _The adversary that held the sword removed it, causing her brother's body to fall towards her, sending an arc of blood that coated her face. She caught him and fell to the ground with his limp body in her arms, more of the magenta-colored liquid spilling onto her arms and legs._

 _"Krayton! Krayton, listen to me, keep your eyes on me." tears streamed down her face as the man known as Krayton looked at her with eyes that seemed at peace._

 _"It's alright, I always wanted to die in battle. Tell Mother and Father that I love them both dearly." he coughed, sending blood trickling down his chin," And Adalina, I love you, so much. You must always remember that you are destined for great things; do not let anyone stand in the way of your dreams."_

 _The young Zandonian woman cradled her brother in a tight hug,her sensitive ears picking up the moment his heart had beat its last._

 _She let out a deafening scream of anger, setting her sights on the grinning beast before her that was responsible for her brother's death._

Adalina's eyes snapped open and a pale face came into her line of sight, startling her.

She felt something foriegn wrapped around her waist and dared a glance under the covers, using her free hand to do so. She found a tail wrapped tightly about her, most definitely belonging to the sleeping pale face that had greeted her.

She was in bed with Frieza.

He was somehow on his side (what with his horns and everything) facing her with one of his hands under the pillows and the other resting on top of hers. She hadn't been that close to his face under non-hostile circumstances and it was a welcome change.

He looked so peaceful and content; perhaps he enjoyed the company of another while he slept? Surely they didn't start the night off in such a position, meaning he had subconsciously begun _cuddling_ her.

Frieza's eyes suddenly snapped open, a startling red that seemed to pierce her straight through. Adalina braced herself for whatever onslaught she was going to recieve.

"Your face is wet, have you been crying?" he sounded as if he wasn't fully awake.

The Zandonian used her free hand to lightly touch her cheek, finding that it was indeed wet,

"I had an odd dream." was all she offered in reply as she hastily swiped at her eyes.

The tyrant blinked and he suddenly became very aware of the position they were in. He snatched his hand close to his chest as if she were on fire and quickly uncoiled his tail, allowing it to rest at his side,

"What is the meaning of this? Were you trying to molest me in my sleep?" he demanded angrily.

Adalina smirked, an expression she hadn't worn in quite some time,

"I should be asking you that, I woke up like this." she really shouldn't have been messing with him, but she was hurt, surely he wouldn't do anything to her.

His eyes widened,

"Preposterous!" he exclaimed.

He jumped out of the bed and landed on the floor gracefully, placing his hands on his hips in a stern manner,

"I would never place myself in such a compromising position." his face had taken on a light dusting of pink as the full heat of the situation hit him. He had known something like this was going to happen, and had tried to prevent it.

The only thing he could do now is forget it ever happened.

"Of course." Adalina was actually enjoying his flustered state as it was a side she had not yet gotten aquainted with. She had her head placed in one of her hands, turned on her side, as she looked at him smugly.

She yawned and decided to try and sit up but almost immediately regretted her decision as her head throbbed in protest. The room began spinning and she placed a hand to her temple to try and force the light-headedness away, but to no avail.

Frieza sighed and placed the tip of his tail on her shoulder, forcing her to lay back down,

"You are not well and therefore we cannot train today. I will send someone to bring you food but you are not to leave this room, understood?" his tone was authoritative and harsh; ah back to his old self.

"I understand. I should be better by tomorrow morning."

Frieza pulled on his armor and made for the door,

"See to it that you are, I don't want you becoming lazy."

When he left she glanced over at his side of the bed and noticed the there was a clean hole through two of his pillows.

"So that's how he does it." she commented to herself.

* * *

Frieza was angry in lieu of his embarrassment. He wouldn't allow himself to feel any shame at what had transpired that morning, it wasn't in his nature. He was over-confident and felt as if it were impossible for him to do anything against his own will.

But it had happened, his body had recognized the familiar sensation of another in his bed, and had migrated towards it. He would never do anything so intimate in his waking hours; relationships were weaknesses.

He was a cold and ruthless ruler, he had no time for such petty things.

And then there was the girl. Hopefully she didn't think anything of it, he couldn't have her developing 'feelings' for him, it would inhibit her learning. But then again it could also ensure that she never left him.

No no, that wasn't probable, she probably felt disgusted at the mere thought of him, it was only natural after what he had done to her and her entire race. He smirked at that, yes, he had instilled a healthy fear into the Zandonian, there wasn't a chance in Hell she would become emotionally attached to him.

He entered the throne room and found Zarbon waiting for him,

"Lord Frieza, you received a call from Lord Cooler this morning, he sounded urgent."

Frieza resisted the urge to roll his eyes. His older brother was so dramatic and found the smallest things of importance,

"Very well then. Go take a tray of food to my quarters, now." he commanded dismissively, he didn't need anyone present whilst he was speaking with his brother.

"It will be done, my Lord." Zarbon bowed slightly before exiting the room.

The tyrant sighed as he took a seat high in his hover-chair. He wasn't looking forward to talking with his brother, he never was. But, if he didn't, Cooler would just find him and tell him in person and he certainly did not want that happening.

He brought up his HUD and tapped the short-cut for his brother's mother-ship. The connection was made instantly and Cooler's worried face filled the screen,

"Frieza, you ungrateful brat, you could have called sooner."

His face instantly turned sour at his brother's choice of words,

"I only just received news that you had called, brother. Do not forget that just because I am younger than you does not mean I am weaker."

Cooler smirked and folded his arms,

"I was only teasing you. Anyway, I called to inform you that Father is coming to visit. He'll be stopping here first, but after that he will be making his way to you."

Frieza clenched his fists in an attempt to calm his nerves. Why, of all times, did his father need to visit,

"You should be more worried for yourself, Cooler, you always have been the softer one."

His brother's face fell a bit,

"That's because I listened to mother more than I did him. That's not the point though, he heard about your new pet, the one from Zandonia, and you know how he is."

Frieza _did_ know how his father was, and it didn't help that Adalina was pretty and exotic either. His father had a terrible habit of borrowing his pets and not returning them. And while that was fine on most occasions, he could not let him anywhere near his current one.

"Thank you for the warning, Cooler, but unlike you, I have actual work to do, so if you'll excuse me." his hand hovered over the, 'end' button as he spoke.

"He'll be there in four days, give or take."

Frieza hit the end button, having heard every thing he needed to know.

He had four days to prepare for his father's arrival, which was plenty of time to get the ship in order and inform his staff of the imminent doom, but he had to make sure his pet understood the direness of the situation.

* * *

"I can only wonder who changed me. I only hope I didn't get ogled." she mumbled to herself as she stared into the mirror.

Adalina had managed to get up and brush her hair into a pony-tail when she heard the door hiss open. She exited the bathroom, fully expecting to see a low-level soldier bringing her food.

She was quite surprised to see Zarbon carrying a tray full of delicious looking edibles,

"How did he rope you into this?" Adalina asked as she walked over to him with her hands out.

He placed the tray into her open palms and crossed his arms over his chest,

"I was in the wrong place at the wrong time." his voice wasn't as snippy as she would have thought, mostly because they had gotten to know each other in the month and a half she had been there.

"Zarbon, how on Earth do you keep that hair of yours from getting chopped off?" she asked suddenly. He gave her an odd look at her random change of topic,

"I'm quick enough to keep anyone from getting too close to it." he answered smugly.

Adalina sat down on the bed to eat and gave him a small smile,

"Of course. Well, I'm sure your highness has other tasks for you to do so I won't keep you."

Zarbon smirked,

"I'm sure he wouldn't appreciate that tone if he heard it."

"Oops." she shrugged, causing Zarbon to chuckle as he turned and made his way toward the door.

"Oh, and, I almost forgot, you certainly have freckles in odd places." the door hissed shut behind him and her face turned bright red.

So that's who had changed her. Well, it was better than some low-level soldier.

Adalina was glad that their relationship wasn't as hostile as it had originally been. Somewhere along the road they had both realized that they were in the same position; dogs under Frieza's rule. It wasn't a strong friendship per say, but they had a mutual understanding of each other.

She allowed her mind to wander as she picked at the morsels on her tray. She hadn't really thought about the events that had occurred yesterday. Frieza had saved her life; had he not been quick on his feet she would have died. She wasn't entirely certain how she felt about the situation.

It had also been the first time he had used her name, though she didn't expect it to become a regular occurence. He had said it to get her attention, and it had worked.

The wound was only mildly sore and would heal in a few days time. She would most certainly be healthy enough to train tomorrow, and even if she wasn't she would still go. She didn't want to anger the tyrant.

She sighed languidly as she rested her chin in her palm. What was it about Frieza that made her _want_ to keep him happy? Other than the obvious, of course. It wasn't that she was afraid of his temper(maybe a little), no, it was something else entirely. She just didn't know what.

When she had finished eating she decided to gander at some of the items strewn about the room. She had seen most of them dozens of times, but the one thing that held her attention was the glowing orb. It had recently changed and it now looked as if the entire galaxy itself was held within it. This change had seemed to worry Frieza but she hadn't asked about it.

The damned thing was eerie, and seemed to radiate power, but she didn't dare touch it. Today, however, something else seemed a bit different about it. Maybe it was glowing brighter than normal?

The young Zandonian shrugged it off and continued her trip around the room, becoming increasingly bored.

There was absolutely nothing to keep her entertained, and Frieza wouldn't be back for some time.

She picked her, fortunately, clean scouter up and fumbled with it in her hands. Should she? He probably wouldn't appreciate her interrupting his business, but dammit she had nothing better to do!

She equipped the device and and quickly tapped it, connecting her to a private line with Frieza,

"I'm bored." was all she said.

Frieza frowned as a familiar voice came through his ear-piece. He was shocked, no one had ever dared to address him in such a way and he wasn't entirely sure how to react. She was _bored_ ; such a vulgar sounding phrase. It lacked any mannerisms or formalities, and yet, he found himself amused by it,

"Is that so? You could always come do my paperwork." he replied sarcastically.

"Is that an actual offer? I'll do anything as long as it means I'm not cramped in this room all day." she was surprised that he hadn't simply reprimanded her and ignored her, as she had expected.

Frieza glanced at the stack of paperwork sitting beside a glass of wine on his side table. He wasn't much for filling out physical treaties and contracts, but it was necessary sometimes, and he did need to discuss the topic of his father's visit with her,

"If that's how you would like to spend your idle time, then by all means."

Adalina did a silent happy dance and walked to the closet, pulling out one of her new blue dresses. She hastily changed, being mindful of the stitches adorning her neck. She could not believe her plan had actually worked. He must have been in a good mood...or he was planning on tormenting her.

She could have cared less about the actual reasoning behind it, she just needed to _do_ something.

She removed her scouter and placed it on a side table; she wouldn't need it. Adalina exited the room and began making her way to Frieza. She wasn't really excited about doing paper-work, but if it meant she would be cured of her boredom she didn't care what the task was.

Frieza was sitting high in his hover-pod when she entered the room, his back turned to her as he tapped on his HUD. She wasn't sure if she should interrupt him, as he looked quite concentrated,

"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to be useful?" he snapped as he noticed her just standing there.

She bristled at his tone but said nothing as she flew to his level. He seemed to be organizing planets that needed to be purged in order of population size. How brutal.

"What do you need me to do?" she asked as she ogled the large stack of papers and reconsidered her offer.

He didn't miss a beat or even look away from his work as he replied,

"Take those papers and that pen and begin signing them. Some of them may require more than just a signature and if that is the case, consult me before you write anything, understood?"

She nodded but was mildly confused,

"Will the papers be legitimate if I sign them?"

He smirked at her words,

"I am the strongest being in the universe, if I say your signature is valid, it's valid." his words held a deadly tone to them, giving her an idea of what would happen to anyone who questioned his methods.

"Right." she trailed off.

Adalina grabbed the hefty stack of papers and floated to the ground, pen in hand. She shuffled through the papers and began signing away, merely skimming the contents.

Treaty, treaty, treaty, contract, payment agreement, list of recently purged planets.

Wait.

"I think you might have to do this one. It's a list of recently purged planets and I'm not privy to such things."

Frieza's tail slapped against the side of his hover-pod twice, as if he were thinking. Adalina couldn't help remember what had happened earlier that morning, his tail wrapped tightly around her waist. That had been an odd experience, to say the least.

"There are only three that need to be on that list, Amrak, Covertis, and," he smirked as he anticipated her reaction, "Zandonia."

Her chest constricted as she remembered the events that had unfolded over a month ago. Her people had been terrorized, killed, and forced off planet. All because of him.

She had told herself that she would learn to forgive him, as she was trying to change him, but she found it increasingly hard, especially with the gleeful tone his voice held.

Adalina didn't bother with a reply as she recorded the names in the spaces provided, ignoring the heavy feeling that had been cast upon her. She kept telling herself that he had a job to do, that it was only business. She was sure his father was the reason he did what he did. But that didn't make it right.

It didn't help that he was proud of it either.

She continued on her way, working through half of the stack in a little over an hour, occasionally handing things to Frieza for him to fill out when she couldn't. His penmanship was very neat and precise,with lilting letters in neat calligraphy. She was't surprised, though, he was a prince after-all.

"I need to discuss something with you." he said abruptly, interrupting the comfortable silence that had engulfed them, "I need your full attention, so you may take a break." he sounded serious, not in an angry way either.

She sat her pen down and looked up to see him turned around in his hover-pod, facing her, his elbows propped on the edges and his hands steepled in front of him,

"My father is coming to visit in four days, and during that time I cannot have you on the ship. Father likes to borrow my pets and he does not always return them in the condition they are found, if he even returns them at all." he didn't need to explicitly state it, she knew what he meant, "You, however, are not a normal pet, if I could even call you that any longer. You are becoming a fine soldier and I will not allow him to take you from me." his voice had developed a twinge of anger and he seemed like he might begin shouting at any moment, " I know that you sneak away to visit Vegeta on occasion, and while I should be punishing you for this disobedience, I have chosen to use it to my advantage.

"I am sending the Saiyans on a small reconnasence mission in four days, and you will be accompanying them. You will make no attempts of escape, as I'm sure you remember what happened the previous time." he wasn't asking, he was simply telling her that she wouldn't.

Adalina nodded, she had given up on that a long time ago, and besides, she was basically getting permission to spend an entire day with Vegeta, and that was fine with her. Though, she had been wanting to meet Frieza's father and observe how the two interacted in person. The man seemed like an absolute terror, and she wasn't against giving him a piece of her mind. But, alas, Frieza's word was law.

"Good. Now finish that paperwork."

Adalina finished her tasks before Frieza and decided to head to bed, becoming quite shocked when he told her to just sleep in his bed once more instead of tracking down a new cot.

The young Zandonian changed into suitable sleeping clothes and settled herself into bed, falling into a deep sleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillows.

Frieza entered the room not thirty minutes later and removed his armor as he had done the previous night, before clambering into bed being careful not to disturb the sleeping woman.

The Arcosian stared at his pet's back, inner turmoil raging deep within. He would never admit to anyone, not even himself, that he actually enjoyed having another living being close to him while he slept, and he enjoyed having contact with that living being even more. It was shameful, and weak in his eyes.

He rolled over and moved to the opposing side of the bed once more in an attempt to keep his subconscious from making any _bad_ decisions.

As he nodded off, however, his body involuntarily rolled back over as he moved in a little closer to the being sharing his bed.

 _ **A/N: I can't thank those of you who have reviewed enough. It really does keep me motivated to write. Now, I'm thinking after about chapter ten or so there will be some major time-skips. This story is going to go all the way through the Namek saga and then some, my antagonist will be introduced soon, but it'll take some time for them to make a move you know? And they won't make any major moves until after Namek. I don't want to bore you with meaningless dribble so I'll probably skip a few years at a time and cover any major developements. By my calculations I have about 20 or so years to get to the Namek saga (I'll have exact numbers when I get there) and that is a lot of time to cover. What do you guys think? Are you a fan of time-skips?**_

 _ **Next Chapter: Adalina goes on an adventure**_


	9. Chapter 9

_Chapter Nine_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

The day had arrived quicker than he had expected. He wasn't worried, no, everything was a part of _his_ design. His father would only experience the things he wanted him to. Nothing would go wrong, he wouldn't allow it.

He slid off of his bed, not particularly caring if he moved too much or made a lot of noise, he had learned that his pet could sleep through just about anything. He glanced at her sleeping form and smirked to himself.

He had managed to avoid any _uneccessary_ contact like what had occurred the first night he had allowed her to sleep with him. The second night he had been pleasently surprised to find that they were not entangled when the morning had come. She was on her side, and he, his. It had been like that every night since.

Frieza pulled on his armor slowly as his mind wandered. He glanced at the Zandonian, anticipating that odd feeling again. She made him feel things he had never felt before and it was beginning to annoy him. He tried to ignore it for the most part, as he had no time for such things, but it was hard sometimes.

Like now, he wanted to reach over and run a hand through her blue locks, but he knew not what purpose it would serve; it was just an odd impulse. An odd impulse that he would ignore. He would not fall prey to such petty desires, especially ones that were not rooted in any logic.

He did, however, need to wake her up so she could get ready for her first 'mission'.

Frieza walked to the other side of the bed and gripped the covers, pulling them off with no remorse. Adalina whined in her sleep a bit but did not stir; he was use to it by now. He gripped her shoulder and shook her,roughly.

She opened her eyes to a familiar sight; Frieza's disgruntled face as he shook her awake. She had become accustomed to this little routine in the few days that had passed, and it no longer surprised her.

"Good morning." she blinked a few times, dislodging the sleepiness from her sight.

Frieza stepped back and crossed his arms over his chest,

"Good morning." he replied back in an annoyed voice, as per usual, "You will be leaving with the monkeys in two hours, I expect you to be ready by then. Since there is a chance that this mission could go wrong, I will allow you to wear your armor, it is in the first storage room in this hallway." he was as authoritative as ever.

Do this, do that, or else.

Adalina sighed and sat up, stretching her aching muscles; training had been particularly brutal yesterday. Frieza had made her hold herself up by her arms for as long as _he_ could, which turned out to be a long time. He hadn't even been close to being tired when she had released the pull-up bar in exasperation.

That was only a small part of her training though. They had sparred a bit, and she had worked on keeping her power regulated some more. She was making good progress, or so she thought. Frieza seemed a bit impatient, but that was his problem.

"Mmmkay." she was still half asleep it seemed.

Frieza frowned at her non-chalance,

"Do you need lessons on _manners_ as well. What a vulgar sounding phrase." he spat as he turned his nose up at her.

"I've watched you jam a hand through someone's chest, and you're talking to me about _manners?_ " she knew she shouldn't have said it as soon as the words left her mouth, but she found it difficult to prevent the sentence from tumbling off the tip of her tongue.

His subtle frown quickly morphed into a scowl. How _dare_ she talk to him like that? She had spoken out of line many times, but this, this was different. She was contradicting him, calling him a hypocrite.

She saw the glint in his eye and quickly formulated a plan to undo what she had just done,

"Wait, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I was only making a joke." she had her hands up in an ' I surrender' position as she spoke calmly.

Frieza turned around, his back facing her and his hands clasped just above his tail,

"You're not very funny. I would refrain from making any 'jokes' from this point on." he sounded mad, yes, but not absolutely livid.

He left without another word, leaving her alone to get ready.

She sighed; what would it take to get through to him? He was a ruthless, inter-galactic tyrant who committed mass genocide to turn a profit. She had seen the potential for compassion, and other emotions, but he always kept them smothered. She was sure that his father had beat such things out of him when he was younger and that thought sickened her.

He was still young, as she had found out that he was close to her age, barely an adult. This meant that he still had time to change, and she was going to make sure it happened by any means neccessary. He had the potential to become a genuinely great leader, what with his strength and confidence, he merely lacked empathy, or rather, he didn't recognize it.

Her father once said that 'a good king does not think himself above his subjects'. The King of Zandonia was very humble and cunning, something she aspired to be and something she wished for Frieza, though with his attitude that may never happen.

But that didn't mean he couldn't become a little less ruthless.

Maybe he needed to be shown that someone truly cared for him? She wasn't sure how she would manage that, but she knew she had to try at some point.

Adalina stepped into the shower in an attempt to clear her mind, allowing the warm patter of the water to beat a calming rhythm into her head. She smiled slightly, she would be getting out of the ship without Frieza for the first time since she had been 'recruited'.

She wondered what her first mission entailed, if he was sending the Saiyans it usually meant that brute force was required. Ah, but she didn't mind, she got to spend the whole day with Vegeta; her little man.

Of course she would have to put up with Nappa and Raditz, but that was nothing she couldn't do. Raditz was merely going through his rebellious teenage years, but Nappa, he was a different story. The hulking brute hated Adalina talking with Vegeta; she was apparently softening him up.

She was positive that he felt threatened by her as well.

Adalina finished rinsing herself off and stepped out of the shower, wrapping a towel tightly about her before exiting the bathroom. She walked to her shared closet and began rummaging through its contents, looking for something suitable to wear under her armor.

She fished through garments of all shapes and sizes, as Frieza had allowed her to purchase an outift or two when they stopped at planets or trading stations so she could slowly build up her wardrobe. She landed on one of her first outfits, a white form-fitting tank top and a pair of tights.

She grabbed her undergarments from a separate drawer, as Frieza had gotten upset when he had found them in his closet, so he had given her her own personal space. His face had been extremely red.

She smiled at that, repressing the urge to laugh as she began getting dressed.

The young Zandonian tied her hair into a ponytail, snapped her scouter on, and exited the room once she was ready to grab her armor. It had been so long it seemed since she had adorned her protective wear and she was excited to put it on once more.

She entered the storage room that Frieza had indicated and looked around. Her armor was situated neatly on one of the metal tables. It had been cleaned and well-taken care of, much to her relief. She carefully began placing the armor on her body, just as her master had shown her years ago.

Once she was adorned in her vibrant white armor she exited the storage room and began making her way towards the throne room. She still had some time before she was suppose to be there, but she was sure Frieza wouldn't mind her being a little early.

She couldn't help but wonder if Frieza would be okay with his father visiting. Oddly enough she found herself worrying for his safety. She knew her being there wouldn't make the slightest difference if his father decided to smack him around, as she was powerless compared to him, but she still felt as if she could do _something_.

Adalina sighed to herself as she continued walking, keeping her eyes on the ground as her thoughts wandered. She felt sorry for Frieza, though she would never tell him that. No one deserved to be treated so horrible and have all 'unnecessary' emotions beaten out of them. Her master had been rough with her, yes, but he had also lectured her on things like mercy and honor.

She was abruptly stopped in her musings when she ran into a wall..or what she thought was a wall. She took a step back and found that she had to look up to see what had halted her movements.

A familiar face glared down at her, though this was the first time she had seen him in person. Frieza had wanted to keep her from meeting him at all costs but it would seem fate was not on their side.

"I'm sorry, sir, I wasn't paying any attention to my surroundings." she quickly apologized as politely as she could. This man had no qualms over killing her where she stood.

King Cold's expression instantly changed to one she couldn't quite place, it almost seemed...gleeful,

"You wouldn't happen to be from Zandonia, would you?"

Every fiber of her being was screaming at her not to answer, but what choice did she have, he was way stronger than her,

"That's correct, sir." she answered sheepishly.

The hulking Arcosian reached a hand out and touched her wavy hair, letting a strand of it slide between his fingers,

"I can't believe Frieza was hiding such a catch from me, what a terrible son he is." he retracted his hand, "You would make an excellent pet on my ship, I'd probably treat you better than that ungrateful son of mine does."

Adalina took a step back,

"To be fair, sir, I'm actually a soldier and on my way to a mission currently." she tried to step around him but was immediately cut off.

" A soldier you say? He shouldn't be sending such a delicate flower out to fight, what impudence. He certainly does not deserve you."

The young Zandonian was growing increasingly uncomfortable and she decided that it would be best if she contacted Frieza,

"I'm a lot stronger than I look." she replied as she reached a hand up to her scouter, making it look as if she were brushing a stray hair back into place. She lightly ran her finger over the button that sent visual feed directly to Frieza's HUD, holding the button for mere seconds.

King Cold smirked at her and leaned down,

"Is that so? I'd love to see you in _action_." something about the way he said it made her think that he was _not_ talking about fighting.

His tail snaked around her waist and she found herself unable to get free. This was not good, not good at all.

"Father, you're here early." that was Frieza, certainly, but his voice sounded different.

He almost sounded nervous.

"Yes, son, and I've found quite the treat."

The young tyrant stopped beside Adalina, his hands clasped behind his back. How could he have been so careless? He should have told her to stay out of the hallways until his father had arrived. Though it was still her fault, for wandering around aimlessly.

"Unfortunately she has a mission that she needs to attend to right now." Adalina could tell that he was trying as hard as he possibly could to defuse the situation.

King Cold's tail released her and she instantly took three steps back,

"Very well, I'm only doing this because I have a very urgent matter to discuss with you my boy." he turned to Adalina, "I'm sure we'll meet again soon."

Frieza turned and looked at Adalina,

"The simians are in the launch station, I trust you know where that's at."

She nodded and turned around, heading in the opposite direction.

Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest after her encounter. King Cold was absolutely terrifying, and she feared the worst for Frieza. She was helpless though; there wasn't a damn thing she could do.

She sighed and composed herself before opening the door to the launch station. She was greeted by Vegeta,

"You look like you've been through hell." he commented roughly.

"I ran into King Cold." she shrugged before continuing,"Anyway, have you been briefed on the mission?"

Nappa was the one who answered,

"We're retrieving some orb, it's a simple job, and we don't need your help."

Adalina crossed her arms over her chest and squared her shoulders as she stared up at the brute,

"Might I remind you which one of us is stronger? Besides, I'm only going because Lord Frieza does not wish for me to be on the ship while his father is visiting."

Nappa glared at the young woman but said nothing further when he received a glare from Vegeta. Raditz had yet to say anything, a wise choice for the coward indeed.

"Have you ever used one of these?" the Prince asked as he motioned to one of the flight pods, only big enough for one. Adalina shook her head, "It's fairly easy, just type in the coordinates or tell it where you want to go, and it will take you. We are going to a deserted planet called Xamos."

Adalina nodded and as the Saiyans climbed into their respective pods, she followed suit. The young woman quickly fiddled with the controls and pulled up a directory, selecting the planet they were traveling to; she was wary of anything voice controlled.

The ships took off at the same time, exiting the air-lock and hurtling into space.

She set up a private line with Vegeta on her scouter,

"How long will it take us?"

"The planet's close, so I would say ten minutes."

"Do you think we'll encounter any trouble?" she didn't want to fight, but if it came down to it she was more than prepared.

"Like I said, the planet's abandoned, I doubt we'll run into any trouble."

The two chatted about random topics for the remainder of the time, arriving at the planet in twelve minutes. Vegeta had been two minutes off, but it was a decent estimate to say the least.

The pods crashed through the atmosphere and into the ground at high velocity, leaving the ground marred with craters.

Adalina got the creeps just looking at the planet when she opened her hatch. The land was dark and grey, where trees once stood were now lifeless skeletons reaching into the dreary purple-grey sky. She couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the planet's inhabitants as she spotted abandoned buildings on the horizon.

The young Zandonian carefully stepped out onto the ground, cautious of anything that might get her. Sure, it was an abandoned planet, and it certainly felt like it, but it was also mildly terrifying.

"They say that the inhabitants vanished into thin air hundreds of years ago." Vegeta said suddenly, causing Adalina to give a small start.

Raditz laughed at the young woman's expense, a harrowing chuckle that annoyed her to no end,

"You have no room Raditz! You're afriad of frogs!" she said as she stomped her foot comically.

Nappa glared at the two and crossed his arms over his chest,

"Stop being children, we have work to do." his deep baritone demanded attention and yet Adalina found it easy to ignore him and take command herself.

Vegeta had sent her a map of the planet and where their 'treasure' was located at during their travel, so she clicked her scouter and pulled up the coordinates. A small yellow arrow pointed her in the direction of the mysterious orb and she prepared for take off.

"The scouter says it's this way." was all she offered in explanation before she took to the skies. The three Saiyans followed suit, albeit some of them begrudgingly.

Vegeta flew right next to Adalina, the Zandonian had decided to go at a slower pace for the Saiyans and it was getting to his pride,

"You can speed up you know, I can keep up." he smirked at her, "Leave them behind, they have scouters, they'll find their way."

Adalina weighed her options, on one hand Vegeta might enjoy the challenge, but on the other, if she went way faster than him, he might have a fit.

It could be a nice lesson for him though.

With a smirk plastered on her face, the Zandonian sped up to unbelievable speeds, quickly losing the Saiyans.

Vegeta strained to catch up with her as she took off, using every ounce of energy he could produce to propel himself at the enormous speed Adalina was traveling. He wouldn't lose to her, he couldn't.

Adalina was surprised to see the pint-sized Saiyan flying directly beside her with a determined look on his face. She was only flying at half her top-speed, but all things considered, that was quite fast.

She decided to let him have his small victory instead of trying to teach him a lesson. Encouragement at a young age meant that one day he would eventually be able to fly at top speeds with her, and maybe even keep up with Frieza.

She wasn't ignorant to the boys mistreatment at the hands of the tyrant. It almost seemed as if Frieza were trying to limit his potential, though she wasn't sure why. She slowed down a bit, allowing Vegeta to have the lead. He was a prideful little boy, and sometimes it was irritating, but Adalina could see it for what it really was.

It was a shield, a shield to protect himself from anything that might come his way. He tried to be the best at everything and was as stubborn as a mule, partly because of his heritage, but also because he was forced to grow up so early.

Her scanner beeped at her, alerting her that she was approaching their destination and snapping her from her thoughts. Vegeta had already landed and was sending her a smirk as she slowed down.

Adalina descended and stood in front of the boy, offering him a smile,

"Nice one, I'm proud of you." she said as she patted his shoulder.

Vegeta felt something swell in his chest at her words. The last person to tell him that they were proud of his efforts was his father, but that had been long ago. He found that he liked making Adalina proud and would be sure to do so more often.

"I told you I could keep up, and I even beat you here!" his tone was mildly condescending, but that was to be expected, it was Vegeta afterall.

Adalina gave him another smile before turning to inspect the location. It was a dark and foreboding cave that seemed to scream danger. Something about the area just seemed _wrong_.

"This place is really creepy." she commented off-handedly.

Vegeta glared at her,

"Stop being such a weakling. You told me that you were an elite commander on your home planet, are you really going to let something as petty as a dark cave frighten you?"

Adalina tilted her head and placed her hands on her hips,

"I didn't say that I was frightened. I merely said it was creepy, as in disturbing. Something doesn't feel right."

The Prince crossed his arms over his chest, giving her a smug look,

"I have no idea what you're on about."

She wasn't sure if he was bluffing or just that oblivious to his own instincts so she decided to leave it be.

Nappa and Raditz arrived not long after, looking a little more than pissed. Adalina had been expecting them to be angry with her for leaving them in the dust, what she hadn't expected was getting sucker-punched by Raditz of all people.

She didn't budge an inch as his fist collided with her jaw, presumably as hard as he could swing. Nappa and Vegeta were both staring at him with wide eyes.

"You fool! Don't you understand that she's capable of killing you with little effort! Her power level is nearly as high as Lord Frieza's!" Vegeta shouted at his fellow Saiyan.

Raditz retracted his fist and all the color drained from his face,

"I-, just, I couldn't, I mean, I didn't know-"

"It's fine. It isn't like you hurt me or anything. You need to learn to control those Saiyan impulses of yours, if I had been Frieza you wouldn't be standing here right now." Adalina sternly cut off his stammering.

The way her voice had instantly become authoritative had surprised all present. They had heard rumors of her famous tone but had never experienced it.

"Yes ma'am!" Raditz, who was usually rude and uncouth, had managed to dig up his manners as her eyes bore into his.

"Good!" she smiled brightly, "Now, let's go."

Adalina could see decently in the dark, but she was well aware of the Saiyans inability to see in the blackness of the cave as Vegeta bumped into her when they went further in. She furrowed her brows and turned towards them,

"Did Frieza provide you with any lighting devices?"

"No, it was all very rushed." Nappa answered.

She figured there had been a lot left out as the tyrant had been rushing to her 'rescue', so he had more than likely given them a quick synopsis of the mission and had not bothered to inform them of the tools they may need.

The Zandonian sighed and cupped both of her hands in front of her, gathering a reasonably sized ball of energy. Teal light illuminated the cavernous path-way, providing just enough light to make out the shapes in front of them.

"Shouldn't you save your energy?" Vegeta asked as he cocked an eye-brow at her. He still had trouble grasping the idea that she had enough power to spare.

"This is nothing, and besides, we shouldn't run into anyone, it's a deserted planet, remember?"

"Of course I remember, woman, I was the one who said it!" he quipped.

Adalina smirked at his response. She knew exactly how to press his buttons when she wanted to, and it provided some source of entertainment. She couldn't help but find his little explosions of anger _adorable_.

The boy was capable of destroying planets at such a young age, and could easily defeat an army if he wanted to, but that meant nothing to her. He was a child in her eyes, and she would do her best to give him some form of a child-hood.

The further they pressed on into the cave, the more unsettled she felt, leading her to believe that whatever they were recovering was something brimming with power. Though, the feeling she got was similar to the one she had recieved when she had encountered the assassin. There could be a connection somewhere.

The cave suddenly became very bright as they stepped into a cavern of some sort, and she found that her ball of energy was no longer needed. She dissipated the teal sphere by seperating her hands and bringing them to her sides.

The source of the light was plainly obvious; in the center of the cavern lay a bright white ring of some sort. It reminded her of a halo with its size and ethereal nature. She knew right then and there that something was _very_ wrong. The uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach had gotten worse, but it wasn't because of the ring.

It was because of the figure standing beside it.

 _ **A/N: Sorry! I had too ok, I didn't want to end in a cliff-hanger, but it just kind of happened. I'll give you a hint to who it is though! It isn't our shadowy assassin from chapter seven, it's a new character, though they certainly do come from the same place. Get pumped guys, Adalina is about to have her first major fight, and I'm going to try and make it as epic as possible, though fair-warning, I'm terrible at fight scenes. If any of you have any suggestions, comments, questions, etcetera, don't be afraid to leave a review! I try my best to adress any concerns. Any way, thanks for reading! And for those of you wondering, I update every Monday unless stated otherwise.**_

 _ **Next Chapter: Adalina makes an enemy**_


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter Ten_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

Adalina didn't recognize the velomptuous woman standing before her. Her physique was human-like, much like herself. She had a bob of white hair that framed her creamy mocha colored skin, stopping right under her ears. She looked normal, for the most part.

Her piercing red eyes, however, gave the Zandonian a bad feeling.

It was the same chill down her spine that she had recieved when dealing with the shadowy assassin not long ago. The wound on her neck had healed but it was still a reminder of how dangerous he had been, and how dangerous this new person had the possibility of being.

"Who are you?" Adalina asked as her body tensed, preparing for a fight.

The woman walked forward, her hips swaying rhythmically as she did so. Adalina felt herself blushing as she got a better look at what the girl was wearing. She was clad in a yellow, skin-tight leotard. It had no sleeves and dipped down in a heart shape above her breasts, exposing her cleavage. The material was something shiny and uncomfortable looking, maybe latex?

"My name is Meredith, but that isn't important, darling." she had a seductive lull to her voice that made all present uncomfortable, "You'll all be dead soon."

"Oh yeah? Try me!" Vegeta shouted, raising his fist.

Adalina shook her head at him,

"This isn't a fight you can win. She's like that man that broke into the ship. She's dangerous." her voice had taken on that same tone again, but this time it held something different.

Determination.

She would not die now, not like this, and she most certainly would not allow Vegeta to meet his end. It had been a while since she had been involved in any real fights, and the familiar sensation of adrenaline pumping through her veins almost seemed to excite her.

"Do you think you can win against me? I'm really curious. Suicide's a sin you know."

A sin? What kind of terminolgy was that? A sin was something wrong, she knew that, but she couldn't quite place it. Deciding it would be better to ignore the odd woman's babbling she began gathering her energy.

"I will not lose to you." she muttered.

Meredith smiled brightly and stuck her arms behind her back in a childish manner, poking her chest out,

"Whatever you say darling."

No further words were said, and it was a given that Adalina would be fighting this foe on her own as the two women charged at each other with lightening fast speed.

Meredith threw a punch, and much to her surprise, the Zandonian dodged it.

Adalina gathered a ki ball and pressed it into the woman's chest, sending her flying across the cavern, hitting the far wall with a low thud. It didn't phase her, she merely stood and brushed herself off with a wicked smile.

"You'll have to do better than that." Meredith chuckled as she advanced, slowly, like a predator.

The Zandonian was tired of hearing that phrase, 'you'll have to do better'. She _would_ do better, much better.

Adalina began powering up, gathering her energy into a concentrated form, her eyes adopting the familiar crimson glow. The ground shook under her feet as it tried to support the tremendous power that had been thrust upon it.

"Are you crazy?! You'll take this whole cave down!" Vegeta shouted, "Let me handle it!"

"No." Adalina quickly interjected,"You are not strong enough yet. I can take care of this."

She saw his angered expression from the corner of her eye and knew that he would be mad at her for the next few days, but it was for his safety. His pride meant nothing in a life or death situation.

The two women clashed once more and it seemed that Meredith held the upper-hand, dodging and blocking every fist or kick that was directed at her, never retaliating. Adalina knew that she needed to push herself to her full potential, but she could only last two hours in such a form, and that was when she wasn't fighting.

But, if she could deal with the threat quickly enough it might not be a problem.

It was risky.

Adalina left all her doubts behind and pushed herself to her maximum as she leapt away from Meredith. The cave's walls began crumbling around them, and she knew that they'd have to take the fight outside.

"Grab the artifact and get outside!" she yelled before following Meredith through the ceiling.

The Saiyans were quick on their feet as Nappa scooped up the ring and quickly got outside, following through the same path. The scene they came upon once they reached the surface was surreal.

Adalina had an ethereal teal glow around her as she held the other woman off the ground by her throat. She had her teeth bared, allowing all present to see her small fangs, only solidfying how dangerous she actually was.

Meredith was struggling to get free, clawing at Adalina's hands. She was surprised, she hadn't expected such a burst of strength from the Zandonian woman. They had been monitering her progress but it would seem that they missed something.

The mocha-colored woman swung her legs up and kicked Adalina in the chest, causing the two to break apart. When she landed, now free from the hands around her neck, she tilted her head,

"Let's get down to business shall we?"

* * *

Frieza was stressed to say the least. His father had left not long ago, but not without delivering some bad news and telling him he would be back to visit Adalina in the near future. The bad news? Beerus the destroyer was coming to have a word with him in a week. He had destroyed Parvis, a planet that had been pardoned by the Destroyer because of its 'delicacys'. His father had urged him to destroy it and probably knew that Frieza would be the one to face the backlash.

What a loving father.

The tyrant lightly fingered his jaw, feeling a bruise coming on, he would have to make sure it was gone before he saw anyone. His father had made sure to tell him exactly what he thought of his 'insufferable son' keeping the Zandonian from him. He hated his father, but there was nothing he could do. His father was stronger than he was, even though he told everyone he was the strongest in the universe.

He sighed as he sat in his hover-pod and decided to check up on the Saiyan's mission. He pulled up his HUD and looked at all their vital signs. They were relatively normal, until he got to Adalina's. The woman's heart beat was accelerated and it would seem that she had a large wound on her leg.

Frieza quickly connected to Vegeta's scouter. This wasn't suppose to happen, it was an abandoned planet, no one should have been there! Of course, she could have fallen and gotten injured, or something of the like but he didn't peg her as a clumsy individual.

"Vegeta! What's going on?" he barked.

The young Saiyan winced as he heard the familiar voice grate on his ear-drums. He had been meaning to contact Frieza as soon as the threat had reared its head but had ultimately forgotten once the action had started,

"Adalina is fighting some woman named Meredith I've never seen before. She's extremely powerful but our scouters won't register her." his voice was bitter, he was still angry that he was not the one fighting.

Frieza clenched his fists, anger welling up inside of him. This day was not going his way at all. Something Vegeta said, however, had struck a cord of famliarity within him. The scouters would not register the assailants power level, just as his pet's would not register that assassin's the other day,

"Turn on your video feed." he commanded coldly.

Vegeta quickly did as he was told, allowing his boss to see what he was seeing.

Adalina was standing across the way from Meredith, both women breathing heavily. The Zandonian had a gash on her calf, not anything too serious. Frieza zoomed in on the other woman, she had bruises and burns all over her arms and legs and looked as if she'd seen better days. She was holding a familiar looking black blade and he knew right then and there that the two incidents were connected.

Someone was trying to sabatoge him.

Though it was a sword of some sort, and not a dagger, it was still the same material, he was sure of it. Obsidian, the 'sharpest' material in the universe, the same material that had nearly killed his pet a few days ago.

Adalina threw a ki ball at Meredith but she dodged it. It was a distraction, he could tell.

The lilac colored girl smirked as she saw the other woman fall for her trick, dodging to the left, straight into a cloud of smoke that obscured her view. Adalina quickly phased behind her and grabbed a handful of her white hair, pulling her head back.

Meredith let out a cry of surprise, or maybe it was pain? Probably both. She brought her sword up and tried to detach the woman from her lucsious locks but failed as Adalina grabbed her hand and squeezed causing her to drop the weapon.

The Zandonian caught the sword with her free hand and positioned it over her throat,

"Who sent you?" she barked out.

The woman didn't answer, merely smirked.

"Adalina, look out behind you!"

She jumped up and out of the way as soon as Vegeta's words hit her ears. She turned mid-air to see one of the young Saiyan's energy blasts intercepting a red one that had been heading straight for her back, no doubt Meredith's doing.

The woman in mention was now smiling maniacally as she stood across from Adalina,

"It would be no fun if I told you that." she was about to say more but her body suddenly went rigid and her eyes widened, "Yes, I understand, mistress."

Everyone was confused, except for Meredith of course. The woman seemed to be talking to herself,

"Have you gone mad?" Vegeta asked in a snarky tone, "That afraid of dying huh?"

"Vegeta." Adalina gave him a stern look before continuing to warily eye her opponent.

She smirked, an evil expression that reminded her of Frieza as she took to the air,

"While I would _love_ to stay and play, my boss told me I need to get back. But, by all means, keep collecting these fragments." she sounded mockingly sweet, and that alone made Adalina wary, "Ta ta."

The woman was engulfed in an inky black substance before quickly disappearing, leaving all present stunned.

Her abrupt departure cleared all doubts; she was working for the same person as the assassin. Frieza cut off the video feed and set up a private line with Adalina,

"Get back to the ship as quickly as possible." he ordered, his voice making her jump a bit.

"We'll be there shortly." she replied, her voice coming out a bit harsher than she would have liked, still a bit shaken by the entire situation.

Once they were back on the ship the group split, Nappa had been instructed to leave the ring with Adalina, as she was going to speak with Frieza; privately.

She was nervous to say the least, he would be angry no doubt, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to deal with that. She sighed as she looked down at her leg, the cut had stopped bleeding a while ago and would heal just fine, but it was a reminder that she wasn't as strong as she needed to be.

The door to the throne room hissed open, causing her a bit of anxiety.

He was facing the bubble port with his hands behind his back. She couldn't read his emotions, but being on he only had about three it wasn't hard to guess which one it was. He turned around sharply, a scowl on his face,

"What were you thinking? You could have jeopardized this entire mission! You should have contacted me as soon as you thought something was off." he was definitely mad.

Adalina felt as if he was not justified in his anger as she took a broad step forward,

"But I didn't. The ring is here, and no one died. Can't you at least be a little grateful?" she wasn't sure what had gotten into her, maybe it was the adrenaline still pumping through her veins?

Frieza glowered at the woman standing before him, taking a dangerous step forward and closing the distance,

"You may be useful to me for now but do not think for one second that I am against ending your meaningless existance right where you stand, do I make myself clear?" his words made everything clear to her, and she suddenly found herself regretting what she had said.

He had been worried for her life. It probably wasn't because he _cared_ for her, no not anything silly liked that, but he was probably angry because he didn't understand what he was experiencing. He was worried he would lose his precious cargo, his prized weapon.

"Right." she sighed and relented, bowing her head in defeat, "Here's this thing." she held the object that had gotten her into so much trouble.

Frieza took the object, irritation still on his face,

"Now get out of here and clean yourself up, you look terrible." he smirked at the end of his sentence, knowing that the coment was mildly insulting, "After you're done I want you to come back and tell me everything that occurred."

Adalina nodded and did as told, leaving the throne room and walking back to their shared bedroom. She needed a hot bath after the day she had had. Something was going on and she had a feeling that things were about to get serious.

She still had her own personal goal; to change the cold hearted tyrant, but things would be increasingly difficult if an actual conflict arose, like it seemed might happen.

She turned the water on when she reached the bathroom, allowing it to run hot as steam filled the air. She would fix everything, she had to. She had made a vow to herself to make the most out of the situation, and she would.

Adalina stripped and lowered herself into the bath, wincing as the hot water met the wound on her leg. She suddenly had the urge to cry, as everything overwhelmed her, but she wouldn't. There was no reason for her to cry. Sure she had run into King Kold and nearly gotten molested, and sure she had nearly jeopardized her first real mission since she'd been captured, and sure, Frieza had blamed everything on her once again because he was too selfish to believe he would ever do anything wrong.

She stopped herself, there was no reason to be so upset, she had done well in her fight, had the woman not disappeared she was sure she would have won, and Frieza was just being Frieza, there wasn't much she could do about that.

She had to take baby steps to change someone like that.

She laughed a bit,

"Why are you getting so worked up? Everything is fine." she mumbled to herself.

Everything was just fine.

 _ **A/N: Okay, this chapter is really bad and it's totally my fault. I lost interest in writing it mid-way through, and I apologize for that, fight scenes just aren't my strongest suit. I feel like I need to explain a bit of what's going on in this chapter. Adalina is on the verge of having a break-down, everything is finally catching up to her and she finds herself feeling more and more overwhelmed by the smallest of things. It'll be a short-lived break-down, as she's a tough girl and knows how to pick herself up, but it's probably going to happen soon. Lets just say her and Frieza might get into a little verbal scuffle, as her break-downs usually include a lot of anger. Anyway, I feel I need to thank the guest reviewer who suggested I put a little Beerus action in this, cause it is a wonderful idea! I do have to alter the time-line a bit though. So I'm thinking after next chapter I may start doing time-skips, now here's the thing, do you want me to just get it over with and skip the entire 24 years in one fell swoop or do it in increments of five? Leave a review and tell me what you think! Oh and if you want to see Meredith, she's on my deviantart, I actually uploaded her before Adalina, oddly enough, as I wasn't planning on using her in this story. My username is kurokagamiimeji.**_

_**Next Chapter: A visit from Lord Beerus**_


	11. Chapter 11

_Chapter Eleven_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

His pet was not acting normally, and that was a problem. Ever since she had returned from her mission she hadn't been as sickingly chipper. Not that he didn't mind the change, but it was getting in the way of her training. And besides, he had Beerus to deal with in two days; he was walking on a thin line of patience.

Adalina sluggishly dodged a beam of ki, her eyes blank as her mind wandered to a different place. Lately she just felt as if the world was crashing down, maybe it had something to do with encountering that Meredith woman? She gave her the creeps, and made something deep inside of her twist and turn, like a bad omen.

A _really_ bad omen.

It made her feel helpless. Sure, she had held her own against the woman, but that didn't mean she would be strong enough to do so a second time. And then there was this boss of hers, which was probably much stronger than her. If they decided to show up any time soon they would be done for.

Well, maybe not Frieza.

The familiar burn of a ki blast connecting with her shoulder snapped the young woman out of her thoughts,

"Pay attention! I will not have you losing your concentration any longer. You have been like this for the past few days and if you don't start taking your training a bit more seriously I will start keeping you chained up in my quarters until you learn to behave." Frieza spat angrily, his hands on his hips, tail swishing back and forth.

"I'm sorry, I'm just worried about that incident. What if someone much stronger comes next time?" she lightly nursed her shoulder, rubbing a hand over the irritated skin.

The cold tyrant smirked, a menacing expression that the girl had oddly grown use to,

"There is no one in this universe stronger than I. Now, if you're quite done worrying over something so minuscule, then when can resume our training."

Adalina sighed and nodded, taking a fighting stance,

"You're probably right." she agreed, feeling a weight lift from her shoulders.

"Probably? I'm always right." he chuckled a bit and Adalina kind of found it funny too as she smiled.

The two continued their training, at a much quicker pace now that Adalina was actually responding. She dodged ki blasts, and blocked punches when he got up close and personal. Sometimes it made her feel powerful to know that she was basically on par with the tyrant. But if what Zarbon had told her was true, this wasn't even his final form.

The idea made her a little nervous to say the least, that such a strong being could increase his power even more. She hoped she was never on the receiving end of such strength.

She suddenly saw a fist coming straight for her and acted completely on instinct, grabbing his wrist, pulling him forward and sweeping his legs out from under him.

Frieza seemed a _little_ caught off guard, to say the least, as he landed on his bottom with a thud.

Adalina's eyes widened and she repressed the urge to laugh, knowing that would only make him angrier than he already was. She smirked but tried her best to hide it as she extended and arm to him,

"Sorry, I was acting on instinct."

He ignored her hand as he levitated up and back onto his feet, a scowl gracing his features. His tail suddenly swept underneath Adalina's feet, tripping her up and causing her to fall as she flailed her arms,

"Sorry, I was acting on instinct." he replied sarcastically.

Adalina did laugh this time, a sweet tingling sound that he had not yet heard,

"I didn't know you were capable of making jokes." she managed to choke out as her laughter died down. It really wasn't that funny but for some reason she was laughing harder than ever, maybe it was because she hadn't expected it from him.

"Don't expect it to become a normalcy. Now, lets move onto something else." she nodded at his words and stood, dusting herself off. Sometimes he wasn't so bad.

* * *

After they had finished training she found herself soaking in a warm bath, as she always did. Her aching muscles relaxed as the water lapped at her skin, easing all tensions. Beerus was coming to 'visit' in two days and she found herself worrying for the Arcosian's safety once more. Frieza did not want her in the room when the God stopped by due to his thin patience.

She knew that he was merely trying to prevent his entire empire from being disposed of but sometimes she wished he would let her handle things, even though it wasn't her place to do so.

She stopped herself.

Why was she worrying over him? He made her life miserable after all, he didn't deserve anything from her. But she was too kind-hearted and had a goal in mind; to change him. If she wanted to change him she would have to put up with him.

And keep him alive.

She shook her head, not allowing her thoughts to go in circles. He would be able to handle the God's temper without her help, as he had done so for years before she came into the picture. Though he _did_ destroy a planet that wasn't supposed to be destroyed.

She sighed and stood from the bath, grabbing a towel and wrapping herself in the garment. Adalina waltzed into their room, grabbing her clothes for the night. She usually changed out in the open as Frieza didn't go to bed until late, after she had already fallen asleep, so there was no way he would walk in.

She was wrong.

The Zandonian had just barely gotten her lacy red undergarments on when she heard the door hiss open. She turned around sharply, her cheeks burning a bright magenta color. Her eyes locked with the tyrant's, his face frozen in a mortified state, cheeks equally as pink.

They stood there in silence for a few moments before Adalina shouted,

"Knock first!"

"It's my ship and _my_ room, I don't need permission to go anywhere!" he turned around, allowing the girl a shred of privacy, "Now put some damn clothes on!"

She mumbled under her breath as she hastily pulled her clothes on, blushing furiously the whole way. She could't believe he had seen her half-naked! She couldn't expect him to always stick to the same schedule so it was partially her fault, and- dammit why was this bothering her so much?!

Adalina announced that she was decent and he turned around, both of them still a bit flustered,

"Why are you in here so early?" she asked in an attempt to dispel the awkward tension.

"I finished everything I had to do for the night." he replied, his voice carrying a snippy tone to it.

Adalina sat on the bed and stared at the odd glowing orb that had recently acquired a ring looping around it in a diagonal fashion, the ring that she had retrieved,

"What is that?" she asked calmly, knowing that the tyrant disliked being questioned.

Frieza hesitated, not entirely sure if he should tell her or not. Though, if he was planning on keeping her around for a long time she had a right to know, especially if she was the one retrieving the pieces,

"It's a part of the Galaxy Staff, an artifact that can be used to manipulate the universe in whatever ways the user sees fit. A new piece appears every five years due to the cloaking mechanism that was placed on them when they were scattered." he explained clearly, surprising the young woman, as he usually gave half-answers in a clipped tone of voice.

"I see; why are you gathering these pieces?" she asked, hoping that the answer wasn't what she was expecting.

He smirked, a menacing expression that made her heart sink,

"Do you really need to ask that? I wish to have the entire universe under my rule, and with this I'll be unstoppable."

Her face fell a bit at that,

"Right." she replied half-heartedly. Sometimes she felt helpless, "Have you ever considered not doing such...things?" she phrased awkwardly, trying to avoid using the word 'evil' at all costs, for who was she to decide what was good and what was evil? He was merely wayward and morally-challenged.

He was still standing at the door but had moved to stand before her, hands clasped behind his back like usual,

"Have you ever considered not asking such pointless questions?" he asked smugly, avoiding the subject.

"It isn't a pointless question. I don't want to work for someone with such ill intent." her voice held steady as she questioned him. She wasn't sure why her curiosity had been piqued, but she just felt empty, as if she were lacking any motivation to continue with such a farce.

"You're in the wrong place then. Now if you're quite done with this irritating line of questions, I'd like to go to sleep." he spat, his temper flaring.

"Who's fault is that?" she mumbled.

"Excuse me?"

"It's your fault that I'm even here in the first place! You forced me to work for you, practically making me _evil_ by association. I didn't want this, I didn't want _any_ of this. I'm surprised myself that I managed to put up with it this long. You control people with fear and it's just not right, why can't you see that? Most of the people that work for you didn't have a choice, just as I did not!" Adalina had stood up midway through her rant, standing proudly above the tyrant.

Frieza's face had morphed into a scowl as he glared at her, death in his eyes,

"You're right, you don't have a choice and you never will. You will continue working for me until I am through with you and there isn't a thing you can do to change it. You will not dictate my behavior, I do as I please for the benefit of one person; myself." he growled out, his voice low and cold, "Do not presume to know anything about me, you insolent girl. I have said many times that I am perfectly capable of doing away with you at any point in time, haven't I?"

"Then do it." she said quietly, tears forming in her eyes, "As I said, I'd rather be dead than watch you, who murdered the majority of my race, get what you want and by my hands no less. You megalomaniac." she wasn't sure why she was feeling so overwhelmed all the sudden, maybe everything she had been quietly smothering was finally catching up to her.

Frieza froze and cleared his mind. The girl was visibly stressed out, he could tell. It was obvious that the emotions she had held back in fear of him were finally bubbling over. She had been acting languid ever since she had returned and now he knew why. He took some form of joy in knowing he was the cause of her distress, but knew that she would not function correctly and thus cause him problems if she wasn't allowed time to decompress.

"You will not be training until after Beerus has visited, is that clear? You're of no use to me in this state so I suggest you take this break to fix it." his voice was snappy, but not deadly any longer. He almost sounded understanding.

 _Almost._

"I'll be back." was all she offered before leaving the room.

Frieza sighed once the door had closed,

"Women." he mumbled. He couldn't figure out the exact reason behind his pet's distress, he knew it was due to her being overwhelmed more than likely; but why? She had been doing well, progressing in her training and happily doing things for him.

Maybe it was because she had realized she was enabling his 'ill intent' by retrieving the ring. Perhaps he should have lied? It would have saved him a headache.

No matter, what's done is done. She'll get over it, she has no choice in the matter.

* * *

Adalina walked towards the room of the only person who could help her organize her thoughts on the matter. She only hoped that he didn't turn her away. She knocked on the door to his personal quarters, certain that he had turned in for the night.

The door hissed open and a mildly disheveled Zarbon greeted her,

"What could you possibly want?" he snapped.

"I need to talk to you about something." the way her voice shook made him actually _look_ at her. She looked defeated with her tear-filled eyes and fallen expression.

"Come in." he stepped away from the door, allowing her a space large enough to walk through.

She didn't bother looking at his room in detail, merely noting that it was nicely decorated in shades of coral and green. He gestured for her to sit in one of his chairs as he occupied the other.

"What's on your mind?" he questioned lightly. The two were on mutual terms and he felt no need to be hostile towards her any longer, especially because she was quickly becoming more powerful than even he or Dodoria. He respected her.

"How did you come to work for Frieza?" she mumbled meekly, twiddling her thumbs in anticipation of the answer.

Zarbon sighed a bit at that. He had been wondering when the girl would crack and start asking him such things,

"My planet was set to be purged and I was offered an ultimatum; join him or be killed like the rest. I didn't have a death wish and I still do not, so I agreed. Over the years I suppose I've just gotten use to my duties."

"But how?" she quietly protested, "How can you live with yourself knowing that you're taking the lives of innocents?"

He smirked lightly,

"I never claimed to be a saint." his expression grew suddenly serious, "Look, you need to stop pursuing this naive dream of yours. I'm no fool, I can see what you're trying to do and it won't work. I've know his Lordship far longer than you have and I know how he ticks, he is not an easily swayed man. "

Adalina sighed heavily,

"I realize that, but I'm not going to give up on him. Maybe it's selfish of me, but this is the only thing I have now," she gestured widely with her arms,"I want to fix him. I don't want to live in fear anymore. I want to be happily content keeping the peace. " she shook her head, unable to continue her train of thought.

"I understand your sentiment, but it's a lost cause. My advice? Endure it. Just do as he asks without question and maybe one day when he no longer has use for you, he'll allow you to go."

She scoffed at that,

"You really think that? He won't ever let me go, I'm far too valuable, so he says. And even then, he wouldn't let me go, he would kill me and you know it."

Zarbon didn't know what else to say. She was absolutely right, his Lordship was not one for mercy or any emotion of the sort and would kill her the second he had no use for her, just to ensure no one else could use her either. Perhaps the girl wasn't as naive as he thought? She was definitely overly optimistic, but maybe that was how she was choosing to cope with her situation.

"Adalina, do as you please, I will not stop you. But do understand that I won't save you either, should your plan go awry at any point in time."

She smiled, a bittersweet expression showing how helpless she truly felt. She didn't care though, she would ignore her own judgment and continue on her quest. She had to, for her own sanity, and for the safety of the universe.

"I think I'm gonna go to bed. Thank you for talking with me, I appreciate it."

"Warn me next time." was his snarky reply.

As she walked back to her shared room with Frieza she suddenly felt nervous. They had ended on bad terms and she wasn't sure if he would be mad or not. She reasoned that apologizing was in her best interest given the situation.

The door hissed open and she was greeted by the tyrant's ruby red eyes, glaring at her from his position on the bed. He was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the mattress, as if he had been expecting her.

The door closed behind her,

"Look, I'm sorry. Lets forget any of that happened." she timidly suggested.

The tyrant narrowed his eyes,

"It's certainly not the first time something of that sort has happened to me, though you are the first to survive after such a rude onslaught." his words were laced with venom, a warning.

Adalina took a seat next to him, on her side of the bed,

"I understand. I'll control my outbursts from here on out." there she went again, apologizing when it should really be the other way around.

"A wise decision." he replied smoothly, his lips curling up at the edges.

She sighed and settled herself under the covers as he followed suit,

"Good night." she murmured.

Frieza didn't reply; he never did.

After a while her steady breathing reached his ears, the sound almost soothing. He had nearly cursed himself earlier when he had tried to sleep without her and found that he could not. He enjoyed having someone sleep with him, though he would never admit it. The tyrant was slowly lulled into a deep sleep, content and comfortable with the woman sleeping beside him.

 _ **A/N: I lied, no Beerus action this chapter. I actually had it written in but it just didn't blend well at all, so I split it into two different chapters. You guys might get lucky, as in, I might update twice this week. Now, here's the thing though, you can't expect it to be a constant thing. I am a member of the marching band and it is currently kicking my butt, and I'm also trying to get into the Navy, so my hands are a bit full at the moment. However, our season is over in November I do believe, so after that I'll see about maybe updating more frequently, until then you'll have to be content with one chapter per week. And I have the time-skips worked out. I will be skipping five years at a time, and doing 2-3 chapters per time-skip. I will make sure I include any important character/plot developments. After the time-skips that will put us at about the time where Vegeta and Nappa head to Earth, and then the action will begin.**_

 _ **Next Chapter: Beerus Visits, for realsies.**_


	12. Chapter 12

_Chapter Twelve_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

Adalina nursed the blossoming cut on her knee, lightly dabbing at the rivulets of blood with a cloth. It hadn't been anyone's fault but her own, and it was a complete accident. Frieza would question it if he saw though.

"How could you be so clumsy woman?" Vegeta barked, his arms crossed and nose upturned.

"I have no idea, maybe it's because someone left this damned grate open." she answered sarcastically. So maybe it _had_ been someone else's fault, if only partially, but she could care less.

She had tripped and sliced her knee open on one of the grated areas of the flooring, eliciting a laugh from Vegeta as they were walking to the mess hall. It had been a bit embarrassing at the time, but now she found the humor in it.

"Let's get going or we'll miss dinner." he commented as he began walking.

Adalina stood and disposed of the cloth in the nearest trash-can, hoping that the superficial wound did not begin to bleed again, as was often the case. She fell into step with the miniature Saiyan, making sure she took shorter strides to compensate for his stature. She knew that when he grew older he would more than likely tower over her measly height, and Frieza's too.

She giggled a bit as she imagined that, Vegeta standing between Frieza and herself, towering over both of them.

"What are you laughing at? Have you finally lost it?" he questioned, a serious expression plastered on his young features.

"Oh nothing, I just thought of something amusing." she answered with a smile.

When they reached the mess hall it was as rowdy as ever. The soldiers generally took advantage of their meal times, as Frieza only very rarely came into the spacious room, and today was not one of those days, certainly.

Someone whistled as she walked by, catching her off guard. She narrowed her eyes at the offender as the entire room went silent. He was sitting at a table with a few others and had red skin and a thick mane of white hair; someone she had never seen before.

"That was a might bit rude." she reprimanded him, "You must be new here."

He smirked in response,

"I might be new here but I can show you a thing or two." he had the oddest accent she had heard in a while.

Adalina placed her hands on her hips, turning completely away from the smirking child at her side and towards the offender. She clicked her scouter, reading his unsuppressed power level, it wasn't nearly as high as hers,

"How about you use that scouter on your head and make better life choices from now on." the Zandonian woman smirked, pushing her power level up a bit.

He clicked his scouter and watched in horror as the numbers continued climbing. At one point he almost looked like he was going to faint, his eyes widening until his irises were mere specks floating in pools of white,

"I-I-I I'm sorry! I didn't mean anything by it, honest!" he rambled as his scouter finally stopped.

A hand clasped on his shoulder from behind,

"Ah, Jeice, it seems you've met Adalina. It would be best to stay on her good side." Zarbon knew full well what had just happened, the tone of his voice giving it away.

"Yes sir! I'll just be going now!" he replied, hurriedly exiting the mess hall.

The entire room was in an uproar of laughter, Adalina barely containing herself. The poor boy nearly wet himself but it was still hilarious. It was a valuable lesson that he would hopefully keep for the rest of his life, he should just be glad she wasn't cruel in any sense of the word.

"What a weakling." Vegeta proudly stated in reference to Jeice, "How he was scared by you, I will never know."

Adalina sighed and patted the young boy's shoulder,

"Go eat, Vegeta." she lightly pushed him in the direction of the door. She wasn't too terribly hungry herself.

He didn't appreciate being told what to do and clearly being pushed out of an 'adult' conversation but begrudgingly did as told. Adalina turned to Zarbon, a serious look on her face as the mess hall became a dull roar of conversation once more,

"Let's talk."

They found a secluded table in a corner of the room and took a seat,

"Is this about Lord Beerus?" Zarbon asked, already knowing that the woman would be curious.

She nodded,

"I've only ever heard rumors of him."

Zarbon tucked a stray strand of emerald hair behind his ear,

"To be honest, I've met him only once, about a year ago. He's suppose to be asleep right now but postponed it until he could talk to our Lord, which does not bode well." he explained slowly, a dark tone to his voice.

"Is he really that short tempered?" she asked resting her head in her hand.

Zarbon nodded solemnly,

"He once destroyed a planet just by sneezing, so I've heard. And it doesn't take much to anger him, the slightest things are capable of setting him off."

Adalina nodded, wondering how Frieza was able to swallow his pride and bow to a higher power level. She knew he did it with his father, but even then his hatred for the man was not masked at all.

She hadn't heard him say one bad thing about Lord Beerus.

Vegeta approached, his tray over-flowing with various food items

"I know you're talking about Lord Beerus, so don't try to play dumb. Just because I'm young does not mean I'm ignorant of such matters."

Zarbon had a bit of a mean streak when it came to the boy, always teasing him,

"Ah, yes, you've met him as well, haven't you Vegeta?" he smirked, knowing the young Saiyan would bristle at the topic.

He sat down beside Adalina, glaring at the green skinned alien all the while,

"That I have." he turned towards the woman sitting beside him, "On this matter I will tell you to listen to Lord Frieza, do not go anywhere near Lord Beerus. He will kill you and no one on this ship will be able to stop him." the young boy's voice had taken on a deadly serious tone, no room for doubt.

"Alright guys I got it, I won't go near him. I don't meddle that much." she laughed, waving her hands a bit.

Zarbon gave her a look, raising an elegant brow,

"Of course you don't." he stood from the table in one graceful movement, "I've got to go brief the other soldiers on their etiquette during Beerus' visit. You two behave yourselves." she noticed he had left the honorific off of the God's name, but didn't comment on it, figuring he was getting tired of 'Lord' this and 'Lord' that.

Vegeta had begun inhaling his food, as he usually did. She was use to his eating habits at this point, knowing from experience that a warrior's metabolism worked quick, and that meant that it also needed a lot of fuel.

She sighed as she picked a spot on the wall to stare at. She had been bored without her training, but it had allowed her time to relax and get back on track. Frieza had also been a bit more lenient as of late, not raising his voice at her. Of course there was still the occasional biting remark, but it wasn't anything she didn't expect. It almost seemed like he understood what she felt and knew that he needed to back off for a bit.

"I need you to come here. Quickly." the tyrant's demanding voice snapped her from her thoughts, his tone slicing through her line of consciousness like a knife. She sighed before clicking her scouter and sitting up straight.

"I'll be right there." she replied over the device, confusing the young Saiyan beside her. She mouthed the word 'Frieza' at his confused stare, as the tyrant could still hear her, and she knew he didn't like any side noise going on when he was speaking over the receptor.

Vegeta glared but nodded in understanding as Adalina stood up and began walking towards the door, sending him a small smile and a wave over her shoulder before exiting.

She wasn't entirely sure what he wanted but knew that he wouldn't be happy if she kept him waiting,

"Quickly entails that you should have been standing in front of me by now!" Frieza yelled over the scouter, the speaker crackling as it strained to handle the high decimals his voice was emitting.

"What, do you want me to run?" she snapped back.

"That would be preferable." her brows raised; what could be so urgent?

She broke into a sprint, pivoting through the halls and to his throne room with ease, leaving confused soldiers in her wake.

Frieza waited impatiently, his tail tapping out a quick rhythm on the floor. How could he have forgotten? He was sure Beerus would take the artifact from him if he knew it was on the ship. To be honest he wasn't sure why he had taken it in the first place, but it had intrigued him. It radiated power and he was sure he could make use of it, and besides, his father had instructed him to take any valuable items when he had destroyed the planet.

He had kept the item from his father, and wasn't until a few moments ago that he had had the horrifying thought that Beerus may have actually spared the planet because of its unique artifact, and not solely because of its cuisine.

The tyrant had been meaning to lock it up, but he had been studying it in his throne room, and knew that there was no way he could have it present during his meeting.

The door hissed open and Adalina came to a halt in front of him, her chest heaving slightly as she released a short breath. She had indeed come as fast as she could, mere seconds going by from the time he had contacted her.

Frieza held the item out, confusing the young woman; why was he giving her a necklace?

He seemed to pick up on her confusion,

"I cannot have Lord Beerus finding this. Take it and get out of here. If you can manage to get off the ship, then do so." he quickly explained, his face set in a scowl as his level of irritation rose.

She had no time to protest as she took the item and turned back around, planning to go to the near-by planet, Nuek and 'hide'.

She didn't get very far before a rush of energy filled the room, accompanied by a blinding white light.

Adalina's back went rigid as she slowly turned around, afraid of what she _knew_ was there.

Frieza's eyes had gone wide, he hadn't accounted for Beerus' arriving whilst his pet was in the room still. He would kill her, just for spite, he knew it. He quickly composed himself as the purple cat-like deity appeared with his attendant, Whis.

The Zandonian had frozen in her spot as she stared at the back of what she knew to be Beerus the Destroyer, only going off of the stories she had heard. She wasn't sure who the blue-skinned man was, however.

"Ah, Lord Beerus, it's good to see you." Frieza's voice was surprisingly pleasant, and a little nervous if she had to make a guess. He peered over at her, a neutral expression plastered onto his face, "Leave us, this is a private matter." she could sense the hint of urgency in his tone.

She nodded, having no qualms about getting away from the unsettling beings. She moved towards the door, having already tucked the necklace into her pocket.

Just as she was about to turn to open the door she was met with a pair of striking yellow eyes. They were perceptive and reminded her of a predator with the way they cataloged every small thing, every move.

"No, you can stay, it's really not that big of a deal, right, Frieza?" the God had something up his sleeve, he just knew it. But he was powerless to defy him, as much as he hated to admit.

The tyrant ground his teeth together, his brows furrowing slightly,

"Come here." he adressed her directly. He had managed to sound somewhat neutral, but she could tell that he was angry.

Adalina nodded, terrified of what might happen if she made a wrong move. Everyone in the room was leagues above her, she knew that. She felt like a child in a room full of adults. She stood beside the tyrant, his presence bringing her a small amount of comfort.

"Now, let's see, why was I here again? Whis?"

Whis sighed and shook his head at his ward's forgetful nature,

"Frieza destroyed Parvis my lord, you were rather upset about it."

The cat-like being seemed to have an epiphany and with that epiphany came a feral snarl,

"That's right! How dare you, you conniving little lizard. I actually liked that planet." he was behaving like a child would, throwing a temper tantrum. Adalina couldn't believe this was the God of Destruction, the most powerful being in the universe (despite Frieza designating himself as such).

"Yes, I understand, but-"

"No buts, maybe I should destroy one of your planets? What's that one you just purged? Zandonia was it?"

Adalina bit her lip, she knew she would most likely die for her actions, but she couldn't just stand there,

"To be fair, sir, his father was the one who instructed him to destroy the planet and if I had to guess, Kold was probably trying to anger you for one reason or another." she could feel Frieza tensing beside her and knew she had done it.

The God stopped his raving and looked at her, his eyes narrowing,

"Is that so? May I ask who you are?" his words were loaded, he was testing her.

"My name is Adalina, I'm a soldier here on the ship." she wasn't sure what he was expecting but she supposed that her answer was sufficient as a grin appeared on his face.

"And where might you be from?" the question hit her like a ton of bricks, she knew what he was trying to do now.

She hesitated, searching for what she wanted to say. There was no way she could lie to him, he probably already knew the answer and was merely toying with her,

"Z-Zandonia, sir." she replied meekly, her voice shaking ever so slightly.

She felt something tap her on the back of the ankle; Frieza's tail. She understood the gesture as, 'be quiet before you get us all killed' but it was too late now, she had already dug her own grave.

"Could it be that you're lying to save your planet from destruction?" he was talking to her as if she were a child, enhancing her feelings of helplessness.

"No, I'm telling you the truth. My people have already been run off planet, it's nothing but an empty shell, I have no use for it." it hurt to say, but she had to undo what she had done.

Beerus tapped his chin, quietly mulling over her words and trying to find a hole in her logic. He was old, though his demeanor may not seem it, and he was a master at seeing through such farces.

But in the end, he had come to the conclusion that it was entirely possible Kold could have been the one to instruct Parvis' demise. He knew the King didn't like him, and he was pretty rough with both of his sons so it really wasn't surprising to hear that the Arcosian would throw Frieza under the bus.

"Is this true Frieza?" he addressed the tyrant, loving that he was capable of making him squirm with nary a sentence.

"Yes." he answered reluctantly. He was going to have a _word_ with his pet after they got out of this alive. She had just made matters much worse.

"I suppose I'll have a chat with him instead then, but do not mistake this for mercy. I'll destroy your empire when the time comes." he lazily waved his hand, covering a yawn with the other.

Adalina chewed on the inside of her lip, she felt like she was going to get Frieza into more trouble if Beerus went to his father so she had to do something,

"Ah, Lord Beerus, sir, if you could tell Kold that _I_ was the one who divulged such information-"

"I planned on it." he interjected with a smirk, "Don't worry, I'll make sure he knows that Frieza isn't keeping his subordinates in line."

The Zandonian was about to argue with that, but a cold tail wrapping around her ankle stopped her, applying just enough pressure to cause mild discomfort.

"Thank you for stopping by." Frieza said politely.

Beerus smiled as he stood next to Whis,

"Until we meet again, in about 30 years." he replied, "Oh, and keep the necklace, it's useless to me."

His attendant tapped the end of his staff on the ground, the same bright light engulfing them. It was an amazing spectacle, watching the two warp into the vastness of space, no doubt in search of King Kold.

Once the two had vanished completely she released a quiet sigh of relief, mildly shocked that he had known she had the artifact, but glad he didn't care too much about it. Frieza relaxed beside her but only slightly. He relinquished his hold on her ankle and she quickly came to stand in front of him.

"I'm sorry. That wasn't good at all." she knew he was mad, mad at her.

He clenched his fists, his face finally slipping back into a scowl,

"You imbecile, you could have gotten all of us killed! And even then, now we have my father to deal with. Where did you even get that information at?" he yelled, his short form instantly becoming imposing as his anger rose.

Adalina raised her hands and backed up a step,

"I really am sorry! I just," her voice lowered to an almost inaudible level as she bowed her head, "I just didn't want anything to happen to you or the ship." she realized what she had said a moment too late, her head snapping up, eyes wide. Frieza's eyes were a little wider as well,"I got the information from you. You were muttering to yourself and I happened to hear." she said when he didn't respond. She had been moving ever so slightly backwards, and was near the door, prepared to make a run for it if he got too angry.

Frieza noticed that she was cowering from him, and for some reason this only served to irritate him further. His tail lashed out, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her forward. She made an attempt to escape, but it was no use, he was stronger.

They were mere inches apart, Adalina leaning back a bit so they weren't in each other's faces. He roughly grabbed her chin in a bruising grip, making sure she looked him in the eye when he spoke,

"You need not concern yourself with me. I am more than capable of handling myself. No doubt Beerus will inform my father of what was said here and there is a chance he will take out his frustrations on you, since you are the one who tattled, so to speak. He wishes to take you from me and I cannot allow that, but because you acted out of line he may have a valid excuse to do so. You have made my and your life much harder than it has to be, congratulations." his words were as cold as ice, sending a shiver down her spine. He released her from his grasp roughly, "Get out of my sight."

Adalina did as told, not even bothering to argue. She had messed up, and she took full blame for it. The door hissed open and she exited it, heading for their shared room.

Frieza crossed his arms and stared into the inky blackness of space. In some ways he was greatful that his pet had prevented Beerus from giving him a lashing, but now he was sure to get one from his father. She would more than likely get it too, and there was nothing he could do,

"Gah, damn woman." he muttered, tapping his tail roughly on the floor.

She had been smart though, he would give her that. Not many could escape Beerus' temper, but she had avoided it with ease, trouncing around her words as if she were walking on glass. Perhaps she would make a good diplomatic leader one day.

If she was still his, and still alive for that matter.

Only time would tell.

 _ **A/N: Surprise! I updated early!**_

 _ **Beerus is actually kind of difficult to write for because he's really sporatic and childish, and I don't even know, I just hope it's not too bad. Anyway, time skips begin next chapter, and don't worry, it will pick up where we left off on this chapter, and progress from there. I plan on making these time skips huge chapters so that I can get everyone caught up. And to those of you thinking, 'man isn't this suppose to be a pairing?', it is. I will make sure that any romantic developments are heavily touched upon during the time skips. Anyway, if you guys want something cute or whatever to happen, (since I will need a bit of filler) review and tell me your ideas, and if I like them, I might use them.**_

 _ **Next chapter: Our Journey Begins.**_


	13. Chapter 13

_Chapter Thirteen_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

She had never seen Frieza so strung up and tense. He had actually jumped when she entered earlier, and that worried her. It had been a few hours since Beerus had left and the tyrant standing before her was driving himself mad with worry.

"I'll take all the blame when he shows up." Adalina offered.

To be honest, she was no better off than he, expecting Kold to burst into the room at any moment. She would gladly take responsibility for her actions though, if only to show Frieza that someone did care for him, no matter how twisted he was. It was the first step to achieving her goals.

"I do not need your pity woman. Know your place." he spat, a threatening tone in his voice.

"I mean it. I don't want anything happening to you because of me. No matter how vile you may be sometimes, I cannot bring it upon myself to idly sit by why you tear yourself up over this." she was speaking way out of line but she simply did not care.

Frieza growled, his full lips set in a scowl,

"How many times do I have to repeat myself before you understand? Do I need to beat you until you get it through your thick skull. I will do this myself without your petty concern!" the Arcosian was way too stressed at the moment to deal with the young woman, but for some reason her words stirred an irritating feeling inside of him once more, but this one was new. It was warm.

"Sir! There's a ship docking without authorization, but I believe it may be your father." Zarbon's voice crackled over his scouter.

The tyrant froze, his blood running cold. His father was most certainly livid if he hadn't even bothered to warn him.

Adalina calmed herself. The moment had come sooner than she had expected, but she would face it with every shred of courage she had.

"Stand down, Zarbon." Frieza replied, his voice not wavering in the least. He was damn good at masking his fear, that was for sure.

Time seemed to stand still as a ruckus was heard through the halls. Heavy footsteps rang out in rapid succession, drawing out the suspense of the moment. She turned to face the door, standing a few feet away from the tyrant.

"Freiza!" Kold's angry voice ripped through the ship as he approached the throne room.

The young tyrant winced, but stood his ground. He wished he had told his pet to leave while he had the chance but it was far too late now.

The door opened, causing Adalina's heart beat to increase tremendously. King Kold stood, as imposing as ever, a menacing look on his face. He seemed a bit disheveled, and she noticed the distinct purple color of a bruise decorating his throat in the shape of a hand.

He stepped into the room, closing his eyes and slowly opening them to reveal a coldness that rivaled the vaccum of space,

"You sent Beerus after me." he growled, "You ungrateful little bastard." he was towering over his son at this point, fists clenched in barely contained fury.

"It was actually me, sir. My Lord had nothing to do with it." Adalina strongly stated, her eyes set in a deadly glare.

"And you didn't think to stop her?" he was still dead set on punishing the smaller Arcosian it would seem. Frieza was looking to Adalina, his eyes wide and unsure of what to do. She had actually done it. She had taken the blame for him, had had the guts to stand up to his father.

"He did, but Beerus has quite the temper and was kind enough to let me finish." she was lying at this point, but she just couldn't bare to see Frieza beaten by his father. Family shouldn't behave like that. It was the reason he was a cold and bitter tyrant, no doubt.

Kold had turned to face her fully at this point, his scowl slowly turning into a smirk,

"You're a cocky little one, aren't you?" he took a deadly step forward, closing the distance with ease, "Could it be that you're trying to protect my son? I already knew full well who 'divulged such information', and I was going to let you off the hook-" his tail snaked around her mid-section, pinning her arms in place, " -but I'll gladly punish you instead."

"Father." never had she heard Frieza's voice so helpless.

"Relax boy, I won't kill her, I'm actually curious to see her developements. But I will teach her what happens to insects when they step out of line, since you seem incapable of doing so." his voice had dropped down to a deadly octave, reverberating through her chest.

"Do what you will." she murmured as she came to terms with her fate.

The grip around her mid-section grew tighter as he drew her closer and she was sure she could hear her rib cage groaning under the pressure. Their faces were mere inches apart, his snarling facade bored into her mind, a scene she would never forget.

She was scared, terrified actually, but she would not back down. She would not regret her decision. If the only way to get through to Frieza was by using drastic measures then so be it. But even then he may just call her an idiot and move on with his life.

 _CRACK!_

At least two of her ribs snapped, causing her to bite the inside of her lip. The pain wasn't anything she hadn't felt before, being a fighter, but it was the slow crunching that really got her. Kold suddenly released her, allowing her to drop to the floor.

Adalina didn't have long to recover before she was back-handed with enough force to send her sprawling into the metal wall, leaving a dent and the distinctive taste of blood in her mouth. She stood and her defensive nature nearly took hold of her, causing her to remind herself that she couldn't fight back.

King Kold closed the distance between them with ease, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her off of the ground. He was exerting just enough pressure to make her breathing labored, but not enough to completely strangle her,

"You are beneath me. You will never be strong enough to defy me, nor will my son. I won't break you completely, but if I ever hear of you stepping out of line again, I'll make sure I take it out on both of you, do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal." she ground out.

He tossed her to the ground, the force of her head smacking the metal flooring enough to split her forehead open. Blood dripped down her face and from the corner of her mouth and she was sure she must have looked awful.

The hulking Arcosian gave her one final kick in the ribs before turning to his son,

"Let this be a lesson to you, boy." he plastered on a chillingly pleasant smile and waved, "Ta ta."

And like a phantom, he was gone, walking out the door and back to his ship, the only evidence he had even arrived being the broken and bleeding girl on the floor. The ship rumbled as his father sloppily disengaged from the docking mechanism and entered warp speed.

Adalina coughed, sending a spray of blood onto the floor. That last kick had done it, she was in pure agony. He knew exactly what to do to make it hurt, and that didn't surprise her in the least.

Frieza was at a loss for words. That could have been him on the floor, but someone had dared to take the fall for him. Someone had stood up for him, something he hadn't experienced in a long while. His brother use to be very protective of him when they were children, but that was ages ago. His mother, however, she was always sticking up for the both of them.

"You fool." he mumbled, standing over her. His voice was low and held something she couldn't quite place.

"I've had worse." she lightly chuckled but winced as one of her ribs moved at a painful angle.

"He could have killed you." the short tyrant crouched down and examined her, his eyes sweeping over her body, "What is the extent of your injuries? Can you walk?" he was surprisingly level-headed.

Adalina assessed herself, going through a mental check-list,

"Let's see, I know at least two or more of my ribs are broken on both sides, and my head's split open, but like I said, I've had much worse. I can walk." she was straining to avoid jostling her rib cage too much, causing her voice to sound much more pained than she actually was.

Frieza stood once more and sighed, thinking over his next move. The young woman probably wouldn't be able to stand on her own. He extended his hand towards her, the action somewhat foreign to him.

She stared at him dumbly for a second, unsure of what to make of it. Was he offering to help her stand? She feebly reached out and grabbed his petite limb, expecting him to pull it back. He returned her grip and pulled her to her feet in one swift motion, making sure not to bother her injuries too much.

"Who knew you could be a gentleman?" she teased.

"I _do_ have manners, unlike you." he defended, retracting his hand and crossing his arms.

Adalina found it difficult to stand without his support but somehow managed, putting most of her weight on the less damaged side of her body. Her ears were ringing a bit and she was sure she had a concussion, but that wasn't anything that couldn't be dealt with.

"I'm going to head to the med bay, see what they can do." she took a testy step forward and almost instantly regretted it as her knees buckled. She grunted as her head throbbed and her fractured bones moved unnaturally within her body.

Frieza noticed the woman struggling and knew he would have to help her once more. He scoffed as he used his tail to prop her up, placing the appendage under her back,

"Can't you do anything by yourself?" his voice had a mild hint of irritation, but for some reason she felt as if it wasn't because he was angry at her inability to walk on her own, but something else entirely.

"It seems I'm in worse shape than I thought." she sighed.

Adalina suddenly found herself being cradled bridal style by the short tyrant, catching her completely off guard. She squeaked, more out of surprise than pain,

"W-what are you doing?" she stuttered as her cheeks burned red.

Frieza narrowed his eyes and began walking, out the door and towards the infirmary,

"I'm taking you to the medical bay, but if you continue to question me I will not hesitate to drop you. Now, be quiet and stay still." he rapidly commanded, seeming a bit embarrassed himself.

Adalina smirked but said nothing further. The Arcosian she knew just a month ago wouldn't have even dared to do something of the like, he more than likely would have been the cause for her injuries. But now, he was different, if only a little.

It was working.

Her plan was working.

 _2 Years Later_

 _As time passed the tyrant grew use to his pets presence, and Adalina pursued her plan more fervently, while still keeping the tyrant oblivious to her actions. Or so she thought. Frieza knew what she was trying to do ever since he had heard her thoughts that fateful night, but even still he found himself gravitating towards her whims_ ,

"In my experience, this will actually boost business." Adalina explained as she pointed to a diagram on the HUD, "If you simply conquer and or buy these planets without exporting and or killing the residents, then it will increase buyer morale. And you get the added benefit of making yourself out to be a more...merciful ruler, which will in turn make people like you, and will hopefully prevent any rebellions."

Frieza scoffed from his position in his hover chair, watching the young woman with a critical eye,

"I do not need my subjects to, 'like' me, I merely need them to obey me. If a rebellion should break out, it would only provide fodder for their inevitable downfall." he smirked, propping his head up with his hand.

"But, if you do implement this idea of mine, then you wouldn't even have to deal with a rebellion." she smirked, "And if memory serves me correctly, people buy these planets to make themselves appear more powerful and to increase their empire's rule. Planets that have inhabitants will give the illusion of a strong ruler, because they have subjects. No one looks powerful presiding over an empty planet.

"As for those who buy planets for their resources, then having the denizens still present will provide native labor with which they can use to mine such resources." she explained smartly, putting her hands on her hips. She was proud of herself; she had managed to put her idea into terms that the tyrant would understand.

Frieza had to admit, she made sense, and if he sold planets _plus_ citizens, he could charge extra.

"I will ponder your proposal." he answered curtly.

 _In the end, he had ended up agreeing with her, and changing the way he ran his business. His father was none too happy, but he didn't completely disagree, which was surprising. It may have had something to do with that fact that it was Adalina's idea, as the King had developed an odd infatuation with the young woman._

Anytime Kold visited, Adalina was to steer clear, it had become normal routine by now. She generally hid in their room, or Vegeta's. The young boy was now seven, and getting rowdier by the second. She shook her head as she walked down the hallway, keeping as quiet as possible. If she ran into the hulking Arcosian she would still be no match, even though she had learned to control her power.

The incident that had occurred two years ago was still fresh in her memory, as it wasn't long ago; two years compared to her two hundred were mere drops in the ocean. She had made a break through with Frieza that day, at her own expense albeit, but it was worth it in some ways. However, Kold had been enlightened about some unknown fact that day, and now he was an absolute bother. He hadn't hit her or anything violent since then, no, but he had made some _advances_ that she was uncomfortable about.

"Adalina, could it be that you're constantly trying to avoid me?" speak of the devil. At least he used her name.

"No, not entirely. I'm a busy woman." she lied smoothly.

Kold circled around so that he was no longer behind her, but facing her,

"Certainly my son can't have you doing too much." he purred, a dangerous smirk sliding onto his features. The look was unnerving, to say the least, and it was one he gave her often.

"At this point I'm a glorified secretary, so yes, he does have me doing that much." she replied, annoyance clear in her voice. What she spoke of wasn't untrue, either. Ever since she had learned to control her power, her training time had been drastically cut back. Now she simply ran errands for Frieza, or helped him with diplomatic affairs. They trained occasionally,but most of her exercise came from training the Saiyan child she had practically adopted.

"If you'd come work for me, I'd make you so much more."

"I work for Lord Frieza, who is an extension of you, there-fore I work for you by association." she retorted, crossing her arms over her chest and cocking her hip. King Kold was still giving her the same unnerving look he always did.

"You're full of surprises, as always. Tell me, have you always been this witty?"

She was about to retort when a familiar voice rang out behind her,

"What are you doing wasting time in the halls? Didn't I tell you to run drills with the new soldiers? Get to it!" Frieza swiftly lied, digging the Zandonian out of the situation she was in.

"Yes sir!" she squeaked, feigning urgency as she quickly stepped past King Kold, leaving him in the dust.

She could only imagine what conversation was occurring between the two Arcosians as a low growl resonated through the corridor. Adalina turned the corner, heading towards their shared room.

 _It had always been like that, Frieza always bailing her out of awkward situations with his father. The older Arcosian was toying with his son and that sickened her. She knew good and well that he could simply take her if he wanted, but oh no, he was enjoying the chase far too much. But if push came to shove, for some reason, she felt like the tyrant would protect her as best he could._

"Will your father ever leave me alone?" she timidly asked as they lay in bed, Frieza facing the wall.

He turned over and propped his head in his hand, unable to sleep,

"Honestly, no. He's persistent. If he wants something, he'll take it. You're a rare find, and it's only natural that he would wish to acquire your power." he lazily drawled out, not minding the idle chat as it may serve to tire him.

"Have you ever thought about taking him out?"

Frieza scowled slightly, furrowing his brows,

"Don't be absurd. Even if I wanted to I wouldn't get away with it." that simple sentence hit her for some reason. He would never get so personal with her in the past, but this, this was new. He basically admitted that he wasn't as strong as he said; he let his guard down.

"Our fates are not predetermined. Your life is what you choose to make of it." Adalina was looking up as if trying to remember something before she looked back at Frieza and smiled, "Or at least that's what my mother once told me."

"What was she like?" he questioned lightly.

"Is, you mean? She's not dead, both of my parents were off planet when, you know.." she trailed off not wishing to turn this rare moment between them sour, "Anyway, her name is Hannelore. She's very apathetic and it's difficult for her to express her emotions, I've only seen her cry once, when my brother died. She's very pessimistic at times, but she's still a great mother. I've learned a lot from her." she smiled, glad that the tyrant had asked.

Frieza wasn't sure what had cause him to ask her such a question, and for some reason he wanted to ask her more, to know her better. It would be best to stop such silly things before he did something he wished not to, or before she asked about his mother,

"I'm tired." was all he said before turning over.

Adalina silently sighed, baby steps. At least she had gotten a little closer,

"Good night, Frieza." she testily said his name.

"Good night." he replied, surprising her. He never said it back. Maybe he was too tired to remember his cold demeanor. And he hadn't corrected her with his usual 'that's Lord Frieza, to you'. He hadn't said her name though, and he hadn't said it since that one time she was dying.

One day, though.

 _ **A/N: Fun Fact, as I'm finishing this up, it's homecoming week at my school. Today is character day and I'm dressed up as Goku...writing Frieza fanfiction. Do with thaht information what you will, but I think it's hilarious.**_

 _ **Alright guys, there's chapter thirteen and our first round of time skips. Let me know if any of you are confused and I'll try my best to clear it up. Basically I've realized that since the two of them have such long life spans, skipping 24 years shouldn't be too hard on their relationship development, since it would take quite a while for them to become romantically involved with such long lives. Next chapter: Another piece of the artifact is discovered, Adalina meets Cooler, and I'll be adding in a bit of fluffy filler.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading!**_


	14. Chapter 14

_Chapter Fourteen_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

 _3 years later_

"It's lodged into the cliff facing, if I jerk it out the entire mountain side is going to come crashing down along with it!" Adalina yelled over the roar of water rushing around her. She was behind a waterfall, excavating a piece of the Galaxy Staff.

Frieza sighed from his position atop the cliff. He had been casually staring out at the sparkling lagoon while the Zandonian woman retrieved the ring they had located. It was only the two of them, as they had been negotiating a treaty with the leader of the planet (on behalf of his brother) when his scouter had picked up the familiar reading.

"Then pull it out, we haven't got all day." he replied.

"But, if I do that, this entire area is going to flood, and I don't want that to happen, it's pretty down here." she mumbled the last part, knowing that Frieza wouldn't share her sentiments.

He had heard every word she said, and was now frowning,

"Stop being such a weakling. There are plenty more areas like this in the universe, and some of them are on this same exact planet." he had crossed his arms at this point and was tapping his tail impatiently.

Adalina wasn't about to give up on saving the scenic area though. She quickly racked her brain for a feasible solution, wondering how the ring had become lodged within the rock in the first place.

She could always try cutting it out with a beam of energy, then maybe it wouldn't cause the wall to crumble. She put her plan into action, gathering a concentrated lazer at the tip of her finger, something Frieza had taught her.

The Zandonian gently cut around the ring, monitering the cliff for any sign of collapse as she went. It held steady and before long, she had dislodged the ring with a small piece of the cliff still wrapped around it.

She splashed back through the water fall and quickly flew to the top of the cliff where Frieza was standing, a huge grin on her face,

"Patience is a virture."

Frieza glared at her and grabbed the ring with his tail, crushing the offending material off of it,

"Would you patiently stand over there while I contemplate all the ways I want to kill you?" he replied snidely, not sure of what else to say in the situation.

"Of course, my lord." she sarcasticly replied, clasping her hands and becoming starry eyed.

"You're going to make me sick. Do you think you're funny? Because you're not." he scowled.

Adalina placed a hand on her hip and lowered herself fully onto the ground, a small smirk on her face,

"Alright alright, I'll quit. Lets go back to the ship, I want to put on some dry clothes."

Frieza felt an odd feeling when she said that. It was like he didn't want her to dry off. He couldn't help but admire how the water dripped from her thick blue locks, down her neck, over her collar bones, and into the hem of her under shirt.

He narrowed his eyes, bringing them back up to her face; what was he thinking? As of late he had been studying such miniscule things about the woman and it was beginning to worry him,

"Let's go then." he said absent-mindedly.

"Frieza!" an annoyingly familiar voice called out from behind him. What could he possibly want? Hadn't he already done enough.

"Cooler, what are you doing here?" the tyrant turned to face the new-comer, who Adalina recognized as his older brother, though she had only seen him over video chats.

"I have inventory to do, and I was nice enough to not make you do it." he looked to the ring still held delicately in his brother's tail, "Are you still collecting that meaningless Galaxy Staff? How many times have I told you, it won't work without the staff part, and that part was broken." his voice was arrogant, condescending, and oddly calm. She could tell that he was mildly more composed than Frieza.

"You're merely jealous that you didn't think of it first, and don't you dare try stealing it from me, or I might just have to kill you." the younger Arcosian retorted with a false sweetness to his voice, a smile on his face.

"It's not worth my time. And besides, if I wanted that particular piece, you would have no choice but to give it to me, I own this planet after-all." Cooler turned his eyes towards the woman standing beside his brother, and knew that she had to be the one he was hearing about all the time, "You're Adalina correct."

The young woman nodded,

"That is correct." she replied, her face stoic.

He circled around her, almost like a predator stalking its prey. The attention made her uncomfortable, and if she wasn't mistaken, she could almost see Frieza tensing out of the corner of her eye,

"You're prettier than I thought you would be. Such unique coloring too." he commented off-handedly. He stopped to face her once more and gave her a small smirk, "It's nice to meet you. I hope my brother isn't treating you too terribly, he's never been the best at keeping his toys in once piece."

Adalina wasn't sure what to think of the man. He gave off an arrogant vibe, yes, but something told her that he wasn't nearly as bad as his brother or father. He was defnintely the older sibling, with his calm and collected nature.

"It's nice to meet you as well." she replied politely.

Frieza growled inaudibly, not at all pleased with the situation. Something about the way his brother was eyeing the girl made him irritated, though he knew not why. He wrapped his tail around her ankle and gave a light squeeze, signifying that it was time to go.

"We're leaving." he said coldly, glaring at his brother, "Do try not to destroy this planet, I've heard the lagoons are lovely. And learn how to do your own job."

Cooler merely smirked as the two took off. It would seem his little brother had developed a fancy for the woman, and he didn't even know it himself. Though, by the looks of it, the girl wasn't aware either. There was a possibility it could go horribly wrong, since his father seemed quite obsessed with the young woman. Even though Frieza was a brat most of the time, he was still his little brother, and he had made a promise to protect him as best he could.

The older Arcosian sighed and turned back towards the jungle where his space-craft had landed,

"Lord Cooler, sir, it's time to do inventory of the planet's resources! Thankfully, the inhabitants were kind enough to start before we got here, so there's not a lot to do." a foot soldier announced as he ran to the Arcosian.

"Thank you, Vanel, let's get to work." Cooler groaned mentally as he set off with Vanel in tow, he hated inventory work.

"Oh, and one more thing, sir, the natives said that there's a nasty illness going around. I'm not sure if it will effect any of us, but I thought that it would be best to tell you just in case."

 _Adalina wished she had been warned of the illness on planet Bahata, as it would have saved her a lot of suffering. It had been two days after she had met Cooler, and a day after he had called Frieza to inform him of the pandemic._

Frieza tapped his foot impatiently when Adalina didn't awaken. He had shaken her as hard as he could without breaking something, and still she resisted. He supposed he had no choice then. He pulled her covers all the way off the bed, and when that did nothing he resorted to his final method.

His tail snaked around her ankle, dragging her off the bed and into the air, hanging her upside down.

That got her up. Though it wasn't quite the reaction he was looking for,

"Put me down." she whined lazily, her voice scratchy and lacking the usual buoyancy it had.

"We've got work to do. I have a meeting with the Prime Minister of Manibo, and you need to be there."

Adalina frowned,

"I think I'm sick."

Frieza's eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms,

"You what?" he was hoping she was mistaken. He sat her back down on the bed where she promptly collapsed into the pillows.

"I'm definitely sick, probably with whatever was on Bahata. My physiology is similar to the Bahatans', since both of our planets are tropical." she coughed lightly at the end of her sentence.

She had cold chills, a sore throat, a mild headache, and aching limbs, she was most certainly sick, and she would be damned if she went anywhere that day. Unless of course, one of the doctors on the ship had some magical cure-all medication.

Frieza sighed and walked over to her, assessing her form to make sure she wasn't faking. She looked pale, and her cheeks were flushed. A light sheen of sweat could be seen on her brow and she seemed much duller than usual.

The tyrant placed the back of his hand against her forehead for final confirmation, and what he felt worried him a bit. He knew he was naturally colder than most, but even then he was smart enough to tell when someone had a high fever as opposed to their normal body temperature.

She was burning up, and it was almost uncomfortable for him to touch her. He retracted his hand and placed it behind his back to join his other, clasping them like he always did,

"I'll cancel the meeting until further notice and I will also send for one of the doctors." his voice sounded stiff, though Adalina wasn't sure why.

He left without another word, presumably to do the things he had just listed off.

The young woman curled up underneath the covers, pulling her knees to her chest in an attempt to keep warm. The last time she was that sick was years ago, when she was a young child. Her brother had tended to her while their parents were at work, making sure she was fed and as comfortable as could be.

She smiled at the fond memories that had resurfaced, too bad they had to come to light because she was sick once more. She definitely wouldn't be getting that kind of treatment this time around, she'd have to take care of herself.

The door hissed open not long after the tyrant had left, rousing her from her light nap. She looked up to see Murdock, an old doctor that was well-respected by everyone on the ship. He was also Frieza's personal physician. He wasn't too odd of an alien, in fact he resembled an Earthling, if one looked past the third eye in the middle of his forehead. He had a long grey beard and mustache, accompanied by medium-length shaggy grey hair.

"Sit up girl." he commanded. He was a gruff old man, but he could be nice some days.

Adalina did as told, watching as Murdock pulled a thermometer from his medical bag. She opened her mouth, allowing him to take her temperature.

"The average temperature for your species is 98.8 degrees, correct?" he questioned as the numbers on the device continued going up.

She nodded lightly, keeping the thermometer as still as possible.

Murdock's eyes widened as the device finally beeped, signalling that it had reached its destination,

"You have a fever of 102, that's almost deadly." he said as he pulled the thermometer from her mouth, placing it back into its sterilizing container, "From the looks of it, you did catch that viral infection that's going around on Bahat, it's killed quite a few. Lucky for you, you're on a highly advanced ship with a lot of medication." he fumbled around in his bag, "take these for now, ones an antibiotic and the other should keep your fever in check. I'l fill out an entire regimen for you tonight. If your fever goes up anymore I'll have to come put an IV in."

"Thank you. I'll be sure to keep myself hydrated then." she replied, a small smile on her face.

"I'll send someone in to watch over you." his voice had a mischievous undertone to it, though she wasn't sure why.

The doctor zipped up his bag and stepped out once more, Frieza waiting for him just outside the door. The tyrant seemed worried, though most wouldn't be able to tell there was a change in his demeanor, Murdock knew, he had been his physician since he was a young child after all.

"Well?" he questioned, his tail swishing back and forth anxiously.

"She has a high fever, 102. If it goes up anymore it could be deadly, though it shouldn't since I gave her medication." Murdock smirked slightly, though it was hidden by his mustache, "You need to keep watch over her, it's quite possible that she could have fits, and if that happens you're the only one qualified to deal with her."

Frieza turned his nose up in indignation,

"I'm not going to spend my day coddling her like a child, I have more important things to do. Zarbon can handle her." he said, but he didn't actually mean it. The idea of her needing his help sounded appealing to him, but he couldn't let anyone know that.

"Frieza." Murdock tilted his head and gave him a look that said, 'really?', his eyes seeing straight through the tyrant. He was one of the few who could get away without using an honorific, and for good reason. He had been like a grandfather to the young Arcosian and his brother when they were growing up.

"Oh, alright, I'll watch her." he relented, his voice holding an irritated tone.

"Make sure she has plenty of water, and try to avoid solid foods for now." Murdock smiled as he turned to walk away, knowing full well that Frieza didn't mind one bit, even though he pretended he did. He cared for the girl, he wouldn't have called his personal doctor if he didn't.

Frieza sighed as he watched the doctor retreat back to his lab,

"Zarbon, bring a bowl of soup and a glass of water to my quarters immediately." he commanded through his scouter.

"Yes sir." the green-skinned alien replied, expecting the command. He had a feeling Adalina would get sick when he had heard of the virus on Bahat, and it would seem he was correct. He was glad it wasn't him.

Frieza entered the room once more, preparing himself for a long day of misery. Adalina was curled underneath the covers, presumably asleep once more. He would admit, she looked pitiful in such a state.

The Zandonian shivered, baffling the tyrant. He had been sick before, but that was long ago when he was child. She was burning up, and yet she was shivering, when that had happened to him his mother had put more blankets over him, saying that the fever would burn itself out. He didn't understand her reasoning, but he had been cozy after that.

He walked to the closet and used his tail to grab two spare covers from the top shelf, dropping them in his arms. Frieza began unfolding the covers as he walked back over to her, layering them on top of each other. He placed them on top of her and the duvet that she was already clutching. He only hoped he was helping the situation and not making it worse.

A knock sounded at the door, it was most certainly Zarbon,

"Come in." Frieza called out, not caring if he was too loud, he was about to wake her up again anyway.

The door slid open to reveal his green-skinned commander carrying a tray with a bowl of soup and a glass of water, just as he had instructed,

"You didn't specify what kind of soup, but I assumed that since she's sick she would want something with a lot of broth, so I got Cucko." he spoke softly, not wanting to wake the sleeping warrior.

"Lay it there." the tyrant gestured to the side table beside his bed. Zarbon did as told and turned back to the door before excusing himself and exiting, gone just as quickly as he had come. He _was not_ going to risk getting sick.

"Wake up, you need to eat something." he lightly tapped her cheek, wincing at the heat radiating from her skin.

Adalina stirred, having not been in a deep sleep. She was delighted to smell food upon fully awakening, but was mildly confused at who was looming over her,

"Frieza?" she questioned dumbly.

"Who else would it be?" he growled.

The young woman smiled as she pushed herself into a sitting position, noting the extra blankets she had been nestled in. So he _had_ come to take care of her, there was hope for him yet.

He handed her the tray and took a seat on the bed, crossing his arms and staring at the wall. Adalina took a cautious sip of the soup, happy that it was at the perfect temperature for eating. She felt like absolute crap, but food helped. She wasn't sure what kind of soup it was, but it didn't matter, it tasted good and that's all that mattered.

"Thank you." she said, slowing down from shoveling the warm broth down her throat.

Frieza gave her a side-glance, narrowing his eyes,

"I'll not allow you to die from a sickness, not after everything I've been through to keep you here. Besides, I couldn't have some peon tending to you." his reasons were logical, yes, but they weren't the whole story, she could tell.

She smiled but didn't press the matter any further, knowing that the cold tyrant wouldn't divulge anything to her. He had been a lot less abrasive lately, and seemed a lot less stressed too. It would seem the business plan she had come up with was working well, and practically taking care of itself. The only time he needed to send out soldiers were to fight rebellions, or remove 'corrupt' factors.

That's where Vegeta and the other Saiyans were, off on some planet snuffing out the leaders that Frieza didn't like. The ten year old had been ecstatic about that, as he had been bored out of his mind without the usual violence he had been accustomed to. Of course there would always be some kind of fighting when dealing with planetary trade, so he'd better enjoy his small reprieve while he still could.

Adalina finished her meal and set the tray to the side once more, quickly snuggling under the covers. Everything was covered, save for her head, her blue locks spilling out onto the pillows. The scene was picturesque, and Frieza found himself staring at her for longer than necessary.

He waited until she was asleep to grab his portable HUD and get to work at the desk in his room. He couldn't afford to neglect his duties for the day, too many things to do.

It had been an hour or so when the young woman started tossing and turning, waking up and throwing her covers off with a huff of irritation,

"What are you doing?" Frieza questioned, hadn't she just been shivering not an hour ago?

"I'm burning up now." was her curt reply, she was annoyed it would seem, "I hate being sick."

He could vaguely remember his mother yelling at him for throwing his covers off when he had a fever,

"You'll get worse if you don't stay covered." he chided, not really caring too much. She was a grown woman, not a child. He walked over to her and placed a hand on her forehead once more, instantly retracting his hand, "You're much warmer than you were earlier."

Adalina instinctively grabbed for his hand once more, not thinking her actions through before setting her cheek on the back of his palm,

"Your hands are cold." was all she said.

Frieza had half a mind to yell at her for touching him without permission, but her contented face stopped him, and reminded him of yet another thing his mother had done. When he had gotten hot, she had curled up next to him, the coldness of her body enough to keep him comfortable.

But he couldn't do that. No he _wouldn't_ do that.

The tyrant sighed and picked up the thinnest of the three blankets, retracting his hand as he did so. He crawled onto his side of the bed, nothing out of the ordinary, since they slept together every night.

He covered the both of them with the cover and propped himself up, using his telekinesis to bring his HUD to him, setting the device in his lap. He would not make any moves to coddle her, but he wouldn't prevent her from curling up to him if she so wished.

Adalina knew how his mind worked at that point, and was aware he was offering her some form of relief, even though he wouldn't initiate it or make any hints towards it. It was up to her to decide whether or not to take it.

The young Zandonian curled up under the cover and pressed her face against his bicep, lightly cuddling him. They had gotten closer over the years, but even still they didn't make any contact while they slept, not since that first night. Sure, she would occasionally hug him (much to his disdain), but it was mere fanfare, for her own amusement.

This was different.

This was his own way of showing he cared, even if it was still rough around the edges.

"Thank you." she felt like she had been saying that a lot.

"For what? I'm merely trying to do my work while being comfortable. Now stop distracting me." he replied harshly.

Adalina sighed, she was breaking down his walls, brick by brick, unfortunately he had some pretty high walls.

She fell asleep with her hair hanging over her face, and Frieza felt as if that couldn't be comfortable, so he moved a steady hand over and brushed the blue locks behind her, quietly admiring its qualities.

 _Adalina was only sick for two days, and in that time, the tyrant had stayed with her. He was still cold about most things, robotically doing what was needed to keep her functioning, not out of care but out of necessity. But sometimes, he dropped his guard, allowing her to see glimpses of who he could be. Her plan was definitely working._

 _ **A/N: Fun fact time! Though not actually fun. I started writing this, with the fluffy sick scene in mind, and when I finally got to it I was having trouble placing myself in her shoes, since it had been a while since I was sick. Well, lo and behold, I am currently sick. So it should be pretty accurate.**_

 _ **Anyway, we've gotten through our first five years! Yay rejoice, I hope it still makes sense. Now, some of you have suggested that I throw other love interests into the mix, and I assure you, I have something planned for the others.**_

 _ **Next chapter: we skip two more years and Adalina gets a promotion, and maybe even realizes she has some feelings for the unruly tyrant.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading!**_

 _ **(PS, there might be more spelling/grammatical errors than usual, as I said, I'm sick and behind schedule)**_


	15. Chapter 15

_Chapter Fifteen_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

 _2 years later(_ _ **I Realize that I said we were skipping 3 years, I was mistaken, it has been fixed)**_

 _It had taken her seven years, but she had finally proven herself worthy to stand by the tyrant's side as his second in command, helping him in decision making and taking the reins when he was absent. Though the title was lofty, she still found herself doing the same things she had been doing for years, albeit with more power. Of course there were_ _ **some**_ _new occupations she had to take up..._

"Soldiers, attention!" she yelled. It wasn't entirely new, as it was what she had done on her planet as a commander, though she got a lot more respect then too.

A snicker was heard, as was to be expected with new recruits, they judged on appearence and not by power, their mistake.

"I said, attention. Do not make me repeat myself."

"How do you expect us to listen to a _little girl_." a rather large man growled out, his bird-like facade pulled back into a scowl. There were some staring at him with a look of disbelief, no doubt those who had heard of the Zandonian's reputation.

Adalina glared at the man, her hands behind her back as she took a step forward. He towered over her by a good two or so feet, but it didn't phase her in the least,

"What is your name, soldier?" her tone was even and threatening, daring him to step out of line again.

"Craw." he spat.

"Well, Craw, if you'd like to challenge me, then by all means." she held her arms out,a universal gesture for 'come and get me', "If you can beat me, then you can have my position, sound like a fair deal?"

The burly alien stepped out of the formation he was in, while the other recruits stepped back, lining the far wall of the training room, giving the two plenty of space. There were some expressions of doubt within the group, while others had fear etched onto their features.

"No weapons." she stated as she caught glimpse of the lazer pistol at his hip.

Craw smirked and placed the gun on the ground, sliding it across the room where it clunked against a wall. He was smug in his actions, prideful even. A fool.

He ran at her, fist aimed directly at her head. He was a clumsy fighter. She moved her head to the side, easily evading the blunt hit,

"Try not to break my scouter, I really do like it." she probably should have removed it, now that she thought about it.

Craw continued throwing punches and kicks, every single one missing its intended target. The alien grew increasingly frustrated when he realized he would not gain the upper hand. It only made matters worse when he looked up to see the woman smiling at him. Adalina found herself getting very bored with their game and decided to end his humiliation.

The young woman spun and kicked him to the side, causing his body to slam into the wall on her right. He grunted as he slid to the ground, the wind knocked out of him temperarily. He was beyond pissed that he had just been tossed around like a ragdoll by a little girl in front of his future colleagues. Though, to be fair, he was more of a marksman, not a fighter. She was probably highly trained, but that didn't mean she was stronger than he! There was no way, she was playing some sort of trick, she had to be.

Craw decided that he had had enough when laughter erupted from the other recruits. He looked to the side and noticed that he had landed right next to the gun he had discarded, and quickly plotted revenge.

Adalina walked to the fallen man, her hand outstretched,

"Here, let me help you up." she said in a motherly tone, not one for mocking or making fun.

He didn't want her pity.

He quickly grabbed the gun, pointed, and fired, eliciting a gasp from those around them. Adalina hissed as she felt pain sear through her shoulder, good thing he hadn't bothered to look up when he fired, or she could have very well been dead.

She grabbed the weapon and crushed it in her hand, tossing it remnants to the side as she stood,

"That was uncalled for." she sternly stated, cradling her injured shoulder. The bullet had merely grazed her, but it was enough to need medical attention, no doubt. She clicked a button on her scouter, "Dodoria, could you come here please?"

The pink alien happened to be close by when he had recieved the transmission, and was in the room shortly,

"What is it?" he questioned roughly.

"Could you finish showing these new recruits around? Oh and send this one" she pointed to Craw, "to brigg duty. And confiscate his weaponry." she was bitter, yes, but didn't want to get the poor fool killed.

"Will do. They're staying in the east hall, right?"

Adalina nodded,

"Thank you." she said before exiting and heading towards the medical wing hoping that the doctors could patch her up quickly.

She still had a few things left to do for the day, like talk to Vegeta. The boy had run off, unannounced, two days ago, taking one of the space pods and leaving. Frieza had been livid, she had been worried. He had returned earlier in the day, and had received a thrashing from the tyrant no doubt. She hadn't gotten a chance to talk with him yet. The twelve year old was on the cusp of his teenage years, and was acting out a lot more.

The Zandonian entered the infirmary, still clutching her injured shoulder,

"Can you patch this up." she asked sheepishly as the doctors ceased their work to look at her.

"Come sit down." Bereat, the doctor who had first treated her when she arrived on the ship, sighed as he motioned to a chair beside him. The young girl sat in the offered seat, taking her hand away from her wound.

"The new recruits sure are spunky." she commented as he sat a few supplies out.

"A new recruit did this to you?" the avian-like doctor questioned in disbelief, "Have you told Lord Frieza?"

Adalina shook her head,

"No I haven't. He was a cocky young man, that was for sure, but he doesn't deserve to die for making a mistake. He was angry that he had to listen to a petite woman, it's understandable. Hopefully I taught him a lesson though."

She winced as he wiped the area clean with a disinfectant wipe, before proceeding to scrub the wound, so as to get blood flowing through it*,

"I'm going to have to stitch this up, he'll notice. How are you going to explain that." Bereat gave her a 'look'. He knew she hadn't thought that far into her plan, and to be honest, she wasn't sure what to tell the tyrant.

"I'll just tell him it was an accident." she barely noticed him threading the needle through her skin, as such trivial pains didn't phase her, "A gun miss-fired, and I was in the way."

Bereat sighed,

"You know how he is, especially with you. He'll find a way to kill whoever was responsible, just because he can."

"I'll make sure he doesn't find out who it was." she replied earnestly, "It's not that big a deal honestly. It's just a little scrape."

"More like a gash that requires stitches."

"Atleast the wound was cauterized instantly."

"Yeah that makes stitching it up a lot harder than it should be*."

Adalina smiled at the doctor, enjoying their banter. He was a nice man, and she had come to call him a friend. Anytime she needed emergency care she saw him, or Murdock, depending. Bereat had seen it all though, from her various training injures to her being clumsy and slicing her arm open. He didn't question her anymore.

She sat still as he finished closing the wound up, bandaging it with gauze to prevent any infection,

"Knowing your regeneration rate, you can probably take those out in a day or two." Bereat informed as the girl stood and rotated her shoulder, making sure it wouldn't hinder her if anything should arise.

"I'll keep an eye on it." she walked to the door, "Thanks again!" she smiled as the metal hissed open, allowing her to exit.

"Try and be more careful!" he shouted after her.

Adalina smiled and shook her head, she was in a dangerous line of work, there would be plenty more boo-boos to come.

She walked down the halls, knowing exactly where she wanted to go next. Vegeta was confined to his quarters for the rest of the week, and she planned to go have a chat with him about his escapade. She still couldn't believe him, how did he ever think it would be a good idea?

When she reached the door she didn't bother knocking, knowing that she would more than likely be ignored. She entered and instantly caught sight of him on his bed, seething.

"Go away woman, I don't want to deal with your idiocy at that moment." he quipped, not looking up.

"Vegeta." she said sternly, coming to stand before him, "I just want to talk. I'm not going to yell at you, I promise."

"I don't want to talk about it. I'm not a child, I will do as I please."

Adalina scoffed,

"You're 12, you're still a kid, and I'm still going to worry about you no matter how old you are." he still hadn't looked up at her, and that concerned her, "Hey, look at me."

He ignored her. Something was definitely up.

She crouched on the ground and looked up at him, but he turned his face away, lifting his arms up to shield himself. The woman grabbed his hands and pulled them away from his face, Vegeta showing marginal resistance.

What she saw made her blood boil.

She quickly grabbed his chin and tilted his head up and side to side, examining the gash on his forehead, stretching from his brow to his cheekbone. It was stitched up and looked old, something he had probably recieved on his little adventure. She released his chin, grabbing him by the shoulders instead, still crouching.

"Where did you go?" she questioned sternly.

"None of your concern."

"Tell me." she gave him an even look, her eyes leaving no room for argument.

He found himself unable to get angry with her when he heard the concern in her voice,

"I heard about a bounty from one of the soldiers. I thought that if I filled out the contract I might earn a little more respect around here. She was a tough opponent, but I won in the end." he was proud about his victory, his face lighting up as he spoke.

"Why didn't you tell me? I would have let you go."

"Alone? And Lord Frieza still has the final word, he wouldn't have agreed."

She had nothing to say to that. It was true, she would have sent Nappa with him, but even then, Frieza wouldn't have let him go. The tyrant was trying to hinder the young Saiyan's potential, she could tell, but she didn't know why.

"He didn't get rough with you did he?" she asked in regards to the aforementioned Arcosian.

"Surprisingly, no, he just belittled me. Told me I wasn't meant to be a strong warrior, I would never surpass him, those kind of things." he was angry about it, his voice gave away that much, and to be honest, so was she.

"I'll talk to him. He's really not so terrible sometimes, I know you don't see it that way, but he _can_ change."

Vegeta scoffed, his young visage twisting in a mirthless smirk,

"Good luck with that." his tone was bitter, belaying the emotions he truly felt for the tyrant. She sighed as she released him and stood, some things took a lot of time to fix, and the boys' relationship was one of them. It was likely that they would never be able to form any type of bond, but maybe they would eventually be able to tolerate each other, "Oh and by the way, what did _you_ do?" he asked in a snarky tone, mocking her as he pointed to the gauze on her shoulder.

"Stray bullet." was all she answered with.

"Weakling, those things don't even singe me." he proclaimed proudly, puffing his chest out.

"Of course they don't." she smiled at him, "I'm gonna go now, if you need anything let me know." she turned to the door, pausing, "Oh, and don't ever do that again." she left before he could argue with her, turning down the hallway.

She walked to the throne room, the distance not far, pulling her hair over the gauze on her shoulder as she went. She had every intention of getting the young boy off the hook, if she could. She didn't expect him to listen to her reasoning, he never did when it came to Vegeta, but it was still worth a shot.

"Do you really think that's a wise choice? To defy me, that is? Sir Erans, surely you're smarter than that. You're not stronger than me, I can assure you of that." she heard as she entered the room.

"N-no sir, I would ne-"

"Sign the paper." Frieza interrupted his stammering over the video feed.

Adalina sighed as she approached the Arcosian, his hands behind his back and a glare plastered over his features. She knew what the meeting was about, as they had discussed it earlier. Frieza wanted one of Sir Erans' larger planets, in exchange for one of the tyrant's smaller ones.

"I just don't see how any of this is fair." the blue-skinned man mumbled.

"I don't do fair. I want your planet, and I was generous enough to trade one of mine, you should be grateful that I haven't killed you yet." he was becoming impatient, not a good sign.

"Sir Erans, it would be in your best interest to sign the papers. We need your planet to house our future military applicants. It might also be used to house fugitives who no longer have homes to return to. Should we find a planet that matches yours in size, we'll direct it to you." Adalina explained calmly, a small smile on her face. Everything she said was true, but Frieza much preferred the intimidation route when dealing with stubborn factors.

He seemed enlightened as a small smile spread across his face as well,

"You should have said that in the first place. I suppose I have enough of a standing within the universe that giving up one planet couldn't hurt too much." he dropped his hand to the digital document that was on the screen before him, signing his name with a flourish. The document instantly popped up on Frieza's HUD, waiting to be filed away or printed.

"It's a pleasure doing business with you, sir, have a nice night." the Zandonian woman waved politely as she disconnected the call, ignoring the glare she was receiving from the tyrant.

When the video feed ended she turned to face him, still smiling even though he was giving her one of his famous looks,

"Your new position doesn't give you the authority to run my business for me." he quipped.

"I needed to talk to you, so I got your 'business' done much quicker than you would have. You don't always have to be so intimidating."

"I'm only instilling a healthy amount of fear. Besides, if the sniveling coward would have agreed in the first place, I wouldn't have had to threaten him." Of course, it was everyone's fault but his own. He never took the blame for anything, seeing himself above such things, "But enough of this asinine banter, what did you want?"

Adalina saved the file that was still displayed on his HUD, setting it aside on his home screen for easy access as she spoke,

"It's about Vegeta." she stated solidly, her voice giving nothing away.

"No." he replied, his voice already teeming with irritation at the mention of the Saiyan's name.

She stood up straight once more, turning to face him, her brows furrowed,

"You haven't even heard my proposition yet." she placed her hands on her hips, something she did often.

Frieza sighed, closing his eyes briefly to calm himself before he spoke. He had had a long day and didn't want to argue with the woman,

"If it's about his punishment, no I am not going to be lenient. At least I didn't beat him to death, but of course, there's still time for that if you want to argue with me about it." he smirked devilishly as he finished his statement.

"You have to start letting him out more. Send him on some tough missions, I'll even accompany him if need be. He's a Saiyan, Frieza, they're a warrior race." she ignored his last statement, as she knew he was only saying it to divert her attention.

"I know, and there in lies the reason I eradicated them. They're nothing but a bunch of rowdy monkeys. I'm not going to fuel his violent nature anymore than it already is, that pride of his is enough for me to deal with." his smirk turned into a scowl as he spoke, but something about what he said gave her pause.

"That's not the real reason, is it? There's something else, something you're not telling me." she thought back to a conversation she had with Nappa once, one of the only civil things they had done together. The older Saiyan knew that Frieza had destroyed planet Vegeta, and had divulged some interesting information to her, "Is it about that silly legend? The one about the Super Saiyan? Surely you don't believe such nonsense."

Frieza tensed and she knew she had hit the nail right in its head.

He couldn't believe she had found out about that, though it was inevitable, he only wished she had learned of it later. It was true, he had destroyed planet Vegeta partially because he feared the uprising of the Saiyan race, and the legend of the Super Saiyan, as silly as it sounded. He kept Vegeta on a tight leash because the boy was the most likely candidate for transformation if allowed to become stronger. But perhaps it could be used to his advantage if he played his cards right? But maybe she was right, maybe it was pure nonsense,

"Once a month if a situation arises. That's all I will allow." he expertly dodged the question, not ready to divulge the truth to her, even if she already knew.

Adalina smiled, happy that they had come to an agreement. There were plenty of 'hard' missions the young Saiyan could fulfill each month, and she would be sure he got the hardest ones he could handle,

"I'm glad we could see eye to eye on something." she flipped her hair over her shoulder as she was beginning to get hot, but almost instantly caught it and pulled it back over, forgetting about her wound.

Frieza's quick eyes hadn't been deceived though,

"What was that?" he questioned suspiciously.

"What was what?" she replied quickly, taking a step back.

He growled, a short but intimidating noise,

"Don't play dumb with me. You know good and well what I'm talking about." his tail snaked around her wrist, pulling her forward with little effort across the sleek metal floors. If only her boots had better grip.

Adalina could do nothing but hold her breath as he tossed her hair away from her shoulder, eyeing the gauze with a speculating eye,

"What did you do?" he questioned lowly, his tone belaying nothing but irritance.

"I got hit with a stray bullet during training exercises today. It was an accident, the poor fool didn't know how his weapon worked." she lied smoothly, hoping he wouldn't see through her trickery.

He wasn't sure why he cared so much, or why he felt angry that someone had harmed her. If it had been Zarbon or Dodoria, he would have laughed and called them fools, but with her, he felt as if he should go kill the 'poor fool' who dare harm his second. Accident or not.

"What was his name?"

"I don't remember. It doesn't matter though." _Oh crap_

"Nonsense, he needs to be punished." he released her wrist, allowing his tail to swish at his side.

"It was just a scrape, and an accident." she insisted, much to his disdain.

He sighed, he wouldn't push the matter any further, he wasn't even sure why he bothered asking in the first place. He was much to busy to be bothered with such trivial affairs. Still...

He inspected the gauze and noticed that blood had seeped through the bandages,

"You need to change those." he pointed out, his voice holding no emotion.

"I'll do it before I go to bed." she retorted, taking a wayward glance at it herself. It did look pretty bad...

Frieza sighed and walked over to the bathroom connected to the throne room, grabbing the medical kit off the wall,

"You won't be going to bed for another few hours, I'll not have you walking around covered in bloody bandages like some savage." his reasoning was logical, wasn't it?

She sighed and relented, taking a seat atop the desk she had had placed in the room for her own use. Frieza scoffed at her manners, but said nothing as he followed her, setting the kit beside her.

Adalina pulled her hair over one of her shoulders, so it wouldn't be in the way. If this satisfied him and kept him from killing the trainee, then she would allow it. He began unraveling the old gauze, not caring too much if he was rough.

"Just a scrape?" he questioned in a condescending tone as the wound was revealed, stitches holding together the slightly bloody gash. He discarded the old bandage in the small trash bin she had beside her desk with a flick of his wrist.

"It's fine." she replied, "I've had much worse, so yes, in my book, it's a scrape."

The woman was an odd one, that was for sure, but perhaps that was why he kept her around. He grabbed a disinfect wipe and began cleaning around the stitches, causing her to wince. He smirked sadistically, not caring much, it was a necessary evil that she had to endure. Though, he did let up a bit when she glared at him.

Adalina's cheeks were on the verge of turning pink, though she wasn't sure why. It was a simple act, nothing more, so why was she reacting so oddly? It was almost as if she enjoyed the contact. But that was nonsense.

Frieza began wrapping fresh gauze around the wound, careful to avoid snagging the stitches. He worked carefully, and she assumed he had done such an act plenty of times, with the line of work he was in.

"There. Do I need to kiss it and make it better?" he questioned sarcastically.

She knew that he was merely being his usual coy self, but for some reason her body reacted adversly, her cheeks taking on a pink tinge as she glared at him,

"You're the one who said I couldn't walk around with bloody bandages, it's not like I asked for your help." she retorted, jumping off the desk and rushing to the door, "I've got errands to finish."

Frieza wasn't sure what had gotten into her, but didn't question it either, she was a woman, and women were famous for their mood swings. Though, he wasn't sure what had gotten into him either, perhaps curiosity? He had wanted to see if her wound was 'just a scrape' or catch her in lie, which he had done. That was it, curiosity.

Adalina pressed the button to the door, not bothering to thank the tyrant as such things were lost on him anyway. The device hissed open, and she quickly exited, walking quickly towards her next destination.

She hoped she was wrong, that she was mistaken in what she was feeling. But no, she couldn't be wrong, this had been developing for years and she had merely ignored it. The young woman shook her head, knowing that nothing good would come from her revelation.

She had developed feelings for the cold alien.

Ones that she knew would never be returned.

 _ **A/N: Awww, unrequited love. Don't worry, the feelings will be returned soon...ish. OTL**_

 _ ***A wound, to my knowledge, needs blood to heal together, I think. I know whenever I got stitches, they had to get it bleeding again, so I assume the same theory applies? I'm not a doctor people, just roll with it.**_  
 _ **Anyway, I had a guest ask what Adalina's power level would be near the Namek saga, and right now I'm thinking maybe she'll be on par with Frieza's final form at 60% or something like that, but there are a lot of factors that go into that stuff, so we'll see. Now I know some of you may have noticed that I have not once given any numbers for their power levels, and that's because I believe that power levels are indeed bullshit, and I'm much too lazy to calculate those kinds of things, so I'll leave it up to your imagination. I also would like to ask if you guys want a Halloween special? I have an idea for a one-shot that I would post separately on my account, leave a review and tell me if you'd like that or not. I also have some concept art I'll be uploading soon, so keep an eye out!**_  
 _ **I'll quit rambling now.**_

 _ **(P.S. If any of you are music types who like putting soundtracks to stories, I'll let you in on something, I listen almost exclusively to Starset's album, Transmissions while I write and edit this story.)**_

 _ **Next Chapter: Another piece of the Galaxy Staff is located and Adalina visits planet Arcos.**_


	16. Chapter 16

_Chapter Sixteen_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

 _3 years later_

 _After Adalina had come to the realization that she harbored feelings for the tyrant, she tried her best to smother them, not allowing anyone to know. It hindered her ability to work closely with him at times, and she tried her best to avoid any awkward situations. They still slept together, and she wasn't about to give that up, it was the one time she could warm up to him without him lashing out. The only peace she seemed to get..._

"Damn it all to hell!" an angered voice exclaimed from the throne room. It was full of annoyance, conveying a tone of extreme inconvenience. Of course, this voice was none other than Lord Frieza, who had just received troubling word.

"What are you yelling about?" Adalina stepped into the room upon hearing his outburst, concerned for his well-being. He lost his temper quite a bit, but this time was different, he sounded overly irritated.

"Well, don't just stand there, come in. We have something to discuss." his tone left no room for argument, not that she was planning on arguing in the first place.

She stepped fully into the room, coming to stand before the tyrant, hands on her hips awaiting further word,

"What is it?" she questioned, anxious for what he might say. The air was thick with suspense as he released a slow breath, seeming to find what he wanted to say.

"Another piece of the Galaxy Staff has been located." he calmly stated, "But there's a problem."

"A problem?" she questioned, confused at what he could mean. They hadn't had any problems as of yet, so what could have possibly gone wrong?, "Has someone else gotten to it before us?"

He shook his head,

"No, not quite. The piece is located on Arcos, my home planet. My father is there, and he will most certainly make things difficult." his eloquent accent was filled with annoyance, "I'll retrieve it myself, you don't have to accompany me."

Adalina instantly shook her head at the notion,

"No, it's fine, I'll go." she wasn't about to let the tyrant be near his father without her. King Kold seemed to be marginally less violent when she was around, and though the reasons for that were certainly concerning, it gave her leverage. She had never actually witnessed him hitting his son, but she had certainly seen the aftermath on more than one occasion.

Frieza saw the way the woman's eyes changed when he had said that. He was a master at reading another's emotions, even though he himself did not exhibit a wide array of them. Pity was reflected back at him from crisp yellow eyes, irritating him to no end. He was Lord Frieza, he didn't need anyone's petty sympathy. Though, he found himself unable to voice his discontent, something that had been happening quite a lot as of late.

"Why do you insist when you know he fancys you. He won't leave you alone. To be completely honest with you, I'm surprised he's kept himself at bay for this long.",he was irritated, but not at her, at his father. His inability to do anything against him was nauseating on most days.

"I'm surprised too, but I'd much rather go than be stuck here watching over these hooligans. Zarbon can handle them better than I.", it was true, she hadn't quite gotten the hang of handling the soldiers, not as well as the others who had been there for years. They didn't show her as much respect, mostly because she hadn't done anything to _really_ earn it yet.

"It's because you don't threaten them. You coddle them like children."

"I do not!" she replied vehemently, "I treat them like soldiers, and I'm not about to start threatening to kill them. That's not very nice." Frieza was smirking at her, finding her outburst amusing.

"And that's your problem. You can't worry about niceties when making hardened warriors."

She had made an example out of Craw three years ago, and now the man listened intently to her every word. Maybe she just had to make an example of everyone, but that was a conversation for another time,

"We're off topic. I'm going and that's final." she reeled the conversation back in, as it was spiraling towards other subjects. Which may have been his goal in the first place.

Frieza glared at her, she had also developed the habit of talking to him like they were equals. She had no room to make demands, or _tell_ him what she was going to do. She was still under him, and that meant that she could not talk back to him,

"You'll do as I-"

"I'm going."she cut him off before he could get angry with her, "I want to see your planet, since you've seen mine." the last part came out bitter, and she meant for it to. She wasn't one for guilt tripping anyone, especially the cold tyrant, but she would if need be.

He knew what she was doing, so why was it working? He sighed, he supposed he could stick her with his aunt while they were on planet. She was a fiesty woman, and his father kept his distance on most days, so perhaps it would be a good enough guard,

"Fine. I will allow it. But do not make a scene if something should happen. People within the palace should not be privy to such things, do you understand me?" he was stern, and very adamant about the issue. He didn't need any of the servants or court members knowing about his 'family issues'.

"I understand. When should we head out?" she questioned. The day had only just begun, and depending on their location, they could be at Arcos by night fall if they left right then and there.

"I'll contact the control room and get the ship on course. We're not too far out, so it should only take a few hours at the most." he always looked so elegant when he was thinking about anything. Adalina adored the contemplative look on his face, because he was calm, no negative emotions crossing his face.

"I'm gonna go finish my errands then. Try not to stress yourself out." she gently stated, giving him a small smile before exiting.

Frieza jumped into his hover-pod once more, putting his head in his hand as he blankly stared at his HUD. Lately the woman had been much more affectionate towards him, and it was beginning to grind on his nerves. Or at least that's what he told himself. To be honest, he didn't mind it all that much, it was an interesting change compared to the stiff and professional atmosphere he got from the others. Though if anyone else spoke to him like she did, they would be nothing but a smudge on his pristine floors.

And why was that? He constantly questioned his own consciousness on that one. Of course, he liked having her power around, but that wasn't the only reason. Perhaps he found her entertaining? Like Vegeta. The Saiyan talked back to him on most occasions now that he was a teenager, but the tyrant couldn't bring himself to incinerate the boy, because it was amusing to watch his pride crumble. Just as the Zandonian's constant optimism must amuse him. Then there were those odd twinges he felt whenever the woman was upset with him or the shivering feeling he got when they would touch.

He ignored them for the most part, as they were of no consequence to him. He was much too busy to care.

Frieza sent out a message to the control room,

"Change course to planet Arcos, immediately." he commanded lazily.

He didn't bother to keep the line open long enough to hear a reply. He was tired, perhaps it would be beneficial to sleep for a few more hours? He didn't really have much to do, not anything that was of priority anyways.

With the promise of a relaxing nap on his mind, he stood and walked out into the hallway, heading for his quarters.

* * *

"Frieza. We're landing. You need to get up." Adalina cooed, having a bit of experience in waking the tyrant up. It only happened rarely, but he would occasionally sleep longer than she, and she would have to rouse him so he would be able to fufill his duties.

She couldn't be too rough or loud, because he would lash out if she did. She lightly tapped his cheek,

"Come on. Get up."

His piercing red eyes snapped open, instantly forming a glare as he looked up at her. Adalina was smiling and holding her hands up, as if in surrender, signifying that she did not want to argue with the tyrant.

"What time is it?" he growled out, sitting up as he pulled the covers from his bare chest.

"O'nineteen hundred hours. You've been asleep for quite a while, so I went ahead and finished your work for you." he had been going to bed late the past couple of days, and not getting much sleep so she figured it would be best to let him catch up on his missed hours.

He ran a hand over his face, still groggy,

"I cannot fathom what goes on in that head of yours." he wouldn't thank her, no, it wasn't in his nature, and she was okay with that. She had grown use to it, "Is the ship landing as we speak?"

"Yes, I authorized it, and spoke with your father." a look of mild disgust passed her face, and it wasn't unnoticed by the tyrant, "We should touch planet in a few minutes."

"Excellent. The less time we have to spend there, the better. We'll retrieve the piece and leave as soon as possible."

"Your father wants us to visit." she timidly stated, knowing that it would upset him.

"Of course he does." he mumbled, "We'll do that first then."

She nodded, figuring it would be best to let him run the show, it was his planet after all.

When the ship touched down they were already waiting in the air-lock, Adalina dressed head to toe in winter attire; Frieza's orders. Apparently his planet was known for its extremely cold temperatures (go figure) and he didn't want a 'spoiled tropical brat' to freeze to death.

Only her eyes and a few strands of blue hair were visible from underneath her heavy red coat, the hood lined with fur. She pulled her black gloves on, wiggling her fingers to make sure they fit,

"Are you sure all of this was necessary?"

Frieza frowned, he was still in his normal outfit,

"Yes, it's _necessary,_ Arcos lies far from the nearest sun which makes it nearly inhospitable for species that do not dwell there." he explained, hoping to get it through her thick head. He wasn't making her wear so much clothing to inconvenience her, he was trying to prevent her from going to an icy grave.

She sighed,

"Fair enough. I don't like the cold anyways."

The air-lock creaked with resistance as it opened, signifying just how cold it really was. Adalina held her breath as she waited for the second door to open, the door that led to the outside. She had seen the planet from a distance, its surface was an icy blue, with patches of white snow on it. Of course she knew it would be cold, but the tyrant was making it sound _deadly_.

The door opened, sending bitter air into the room, and instantly causing her eyes to water. She quickly pulled her goggles over head, now understanding why she might need them. The place was alive with inhabitants, that was for certain, with the bustling city she saw before her, but it was freezing. The air was dry, only adding to the uneasy feeling.

The two stepped off the ship and began making their way to the castle that sat in the center of the city,

"Okay you were most certainly right, and I'm glad that I listened to you." her muffled voice broke the silence that had enveloped them.

"Aren't I always right?" he replied boastingly.

Adalina rolled her eyes, the gesture masked by her black goggles,

"Of course you are." Frieza smirked at the sarcastic tone in her voice. It amused him when she used such a tone, but he wasn't sure why.

The palace was an enormous structure that sat at the middle of the bustling streets, and the tyrant had a wide birth to get there. Most people moved out of his way as he leisurely strolled down the path.

When they reached the gate, a guard greeted him,

"Lord Frieza." and to her surprise, nodded at her as well, "Lady Adalina." before unlocking the twisting structure and allowing them entrance.

As they walked, the tyrant thought it would be best to make a few things clear,

"Be on your best behavior, I know I don't have much to worry about with you, but I would like to make it known that there will be _dire_ consequences should you suddenly decide to step out of line. Everyone within this castle knows of your position as my second and are expected to treat you with as much respect as they would show myself or my family." he explained slowly, as if she were a child.

"I got it I got it." she waved her hands lazily, "I _do_ have manners you know."

"You've never been good at jokes, why start telling them now?" he smirked when she puffed her cheeks out in exasperation, something she did often when he teased her.

She didn't bother replying, as they had reached the door, the tall structures swinging open for them,

"Good evening my Lord." another servant said with a smile. She couldn't help but think that all Arcosians had an odd elegant beauty to them.

Frieza didn't grace the man with a reply, simply walking in with Adalina following. She was overjoyed to feel heat once again surround her body from the large fire place in the foyer,

"Your coat, miss?" the servant asked, holding his hand out.

She shrugged the thick material off her shoulders and handed it to him, watching as he disappeared behind the staircase.

Something suddenly appeared from the archway under the stairs, barreling into the tyrants legs and nearly knocking him over,

"Frieza! It's been forever! I've missed you." a young voice shouted, her voice muffled as she had her face pressed into his knees. Frieza crouched down and grabbed the young child by her shoulders,

"Polarra, hasn't your mother taught you anything about manners?" he was smiling, only slightly, something Adalina had seen very few times. He didn't seem to care that she was standing right beside him either.

The little Arcosian nodded her head sheepishly, her big red eyes widening as she pouted. She was a cute little thing, that was for certain. Though she was different than the others she had seen. She had no horns, or anything of the sort around the red bio-gem on her head, and merely had two black lines running from her eyes to her jaw line. She wore a navy blue dress that touched the floor, but was obviously ruffled from being played in no doubt.

"Yes but I was excited." she replied in a tone that could only belong to a young child, "Who are you?" she turned to look at Adalina, wiggling out of the tyrant's grip.

The young woman crouched down so that she was at Polarra's level, giving her a smile,

"My name is Adalina, I'm his second in command, it's nice to meet you Polarra."

The girl instantly brightened up, smiling at the Zandonian,

"You're so pretty! Like a princess. Can I play with your hair? I don't get to touch hair very much. Or maybe we could play dress up? Mom's busy right now and I'm bored." the little girl's mouth was moving at lightening speed and she almost found it hard to keep up.

"I don't know, you'll have to ask him, he's my boss." she winked at her.

"Please cousin Frieza. You don't need her right now do you?" so they were cousins, how quaint.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He had to go speak with his father, so perhaps it wasn't a bad thing if she didn't make an appearance right away,

"I suppose that's fine."

The little girl grabbed the older woman by her arm and dragged her off to some unknown corner of the palace, leaving the tyrant standing by himself. He sighed and shook his head. Polarra was one of the very few he could do nothing against, she was just _too_ charming, and oddly enough, their personalities were similar.

He continued on his way towards the throne room, hoping that his aunt was nearby if Polarra was. She lived within the palace and was the resident seamstress and occasional consult if King Kold needed another opinion on royal matters. The two didn't get along at all, as Arctica* was his mother's sister. She had hated him ever since his mother's death and it wasn't looking up any time soon. Not that he minded. He much preferred his aunt to his father, even if the woman was a bit on the eccentric side.

Frieza didn't bother knocking, as his father was expecting him. He entered the room and was surprised to see his aunt smiling at him from the throne in the middle of the room,

"Hello my adorable nephew." she purred, a smile gracing her lips. His aunt had an exotic beauty about her, due to her rare horn structure. Her black horns curved upwards, even though she was in her sealed form, and she had one single triangular mass of white bone that hung over the far right side of her face. Her deep red coloring had a pink undertone to it, adding to her feminine physique.

"Where's father?" he asked, ignoring her statement.

"About that." her face fell, "He located a piece of the galaxy staff, and he knows you've come for it. He said that he was merely retrieving it for you, but knowing him, he probably has something up his sleeve. I was told to watch over things whilst he is gone."

Frieza sighed heavily, of course. He should have expected it but he had hope that his father wouldn't find out about his endeavors. Now he would be expected to hand over the staff as soon as all of the pieces were found. Of course, he might believe it a fruitless errand, as the staff was indeed missing it's most important part, something his brother pointed out.

"Let him do as he pleases. I will get the piece no matter what." his tone had turned bitter, his father always ruined his schemes.

Arctica uncrossed her legs and stood, her rose gold gown pooling around her as she glided across the floor, her eyes darting around her nephew,

"Where's that pretty girlfriend of yours I keep hearing about?" she changed the subject, placing a finger to her chin in contemplation.

Her nephew's cheek took on a pink tinge as he scowled at the notion,

"She's my second in command. I would never pursue a romantic relationship with an underling, how unprofessional." he scoffed, "And for your information, Polarra rushed her off as soon as we walked in the door."

"Is that so? Then I'll tell them to come here, I'd like to meet this young lady." she was no fool, the two were most certainly close and a relationship between them was inevitable. She was happy that someone was warming up to the boy, he had been distant and cold for as long as she could remember, since his mother died at least, "Polarra, come here, and bring your new friend with you." she called out, not too loud, knowing that her daughter's sensitive hearing would pick her voice up no matter where she might be in the palace.

"I can't believe you allow her to run around in her unsealed form. She could do some serious damage if not careful."

She waved him off,

"She's a smart little girl, sweet enough too. She can control her power for the most part. Your brother comes in and works with her quite often as well."

Thankfully, the young child wasn't far off, and not a minute later was running into the room, holding Adalina tightly by the hand. The Zandonian's wild waves were pulled back in a tight french braid, something she must have taught the young girl to do.

"Hi momma, what did you need?" she questioned politely.

Arctica smiled at her young daughter,

"I wanted to meet Frieza's second in command." she smiled at the lilac-skinned woman warmly, "I'm Arctica, his aunt."

The Zandonian bowed slightly,

"My name is Adalina, it's nice to meet you madam."

The Arcosian woman waved her hand lazily,

"Please, call me Arctica."

"Momma, I'm hungry." Polarra interrupted, pouting at her mother.

She smiled sweetly at the young girl and saw it as a perfect opportunity,

"Frieza, do you mind taking her to the kitchens?" he instantly knew what she trying to do, but found himself unable to argue when she raised a challenging brow at him. His aunt was many things, and a push-over was not among those things.

He nodded reluctantly, motioning for the young girl to follow him,

"Does this mean you'll let me have ice cream?" she whispered to her older cousin, hoping her mother couldn't hear her.

" _Real_ food young lady. " she yelled sternly at their retreating backs.

Adalina awkwardly stood before the woman, not sure what to expect,

"I am aware of Kold's odd infatuation with you, and I would like to tell you what I know of the situation." she motioned to an elegant bench, "Come sit." she did as told, placing herself beside the slender woman.

"It's quite something."

"Do you have feelings for my nephew?" she jumped straight to the chase, giving her a wide smile.

Adalina faltered for a second, stumbling to find her next words,

"I-I mean, I care for him, yes." she replied, not telling the full truth, but not lying either.

It was enough of an answer for the eccentric woman, as he face fell, a neutral expression settling on her face once more,

"Then that explains a lot. Kold probably doesn't like the possibility of you softening his son, and is trying to take you away. Or something of the matter. I just want you to know, that you shouldn't stop pursuing this, Frieza needs it." she gave her a small smile, her plump purple lips reminding her so much of the tyrant.

"I'll try to remember that. Where is the King anyway?"

"Out retrieving that piece of the galaxy staff."

Adalina swallowed heavily, not sure what to expect.

Why was her life so difficult?

 _She had been so worried about what might happen to the Galaxy Staff due to Kold's involvement, but much to her relief the overbearing man had simply opted to hand over the bauble* to them but there had been something mysterious in his eyes, and of course he had tried making a pass at her, but he was behaving oddly that night. Like he knew of something they did not. Frieza had brought it up to his aunt later in the evening, but she had been at a loss for an explanation,promising to keep an eye on him. They left not long after, Adalina glad she had went, now having an insight into his home life._

 _ **A/N: *When I first came up with Arctica, I hadn't expected to use her for anything, but then I figured she might do well in this story, and vwola.**_

 _ **I, however, did not realize the horrible pun in her name until it was too late, Aunt Arctica sounds a lot like Antarctica and I apologize. Hehe.**_

 _ ***Bauble meaning, a small marble, I'll be posting a picture of the staff by the time this chapter is released as well**_

 _ **Anywho, sorry if this chapter is a bit rushed, I kind of started rambling near the end, and I had to rewrite this chapter at least once. And I also apologize if there are any glaring errors in this one, I didn't proof read it well.**_

 _ **I'll be writing a short one-shot for Halloween that will be up on Saturday. I drew a Halloween picture for Adalina, which is on my deviantart, and I will also be posting pictures of Arctica and Polarra (they will probably be up by the time you see this). They will be constants within the story, so if you like them, you don't have to worry about them going anywhere!**_  
 _ **As always, my dA is kurokagamiimeji.**_

 _ **OOh, and congratz guys, we got through a decade, only 14 years to go, and approx. 7 more chapters until we get into the main story of DBZ!**_

 _ **Next Chapter: Fluff, Frieza realizes something important.**_


	17. Halloween Special

_Halloween Special_  
 _" It's said that All Hallows' Eve is one of the nights when_  
 _the veil between worlds is thin."_  
 _Eren Morgenstern_

 _This short story takes place around the time-skip in chapter 16, a month or so after the events that occurred on Arcos._

"Remind me; why am I watching this inane broadcast with you?" Vegeta growled, the fifteen year old crossing his arms over his chest, a scowl gracing his visage.

Adalina smiled brightly at him, ignoring his brash nature,

"Because it's Halloween! It's originally an Earth holiday, but it's spread to the other galaxies, so I suppose you could say it's a Universal holiday now." someone on the large HUD screamed as she ran from some monster or another, "And I've always loved these novelty Earth movies, whenever we would get access to them on my home planet, I would spend all day watching them..when I wasn't busy of course."

The Prince wasn't amused by her antics, but had stayed with her none the less, not one for upsetting the woman who was stronger than him,

"How did you get them anyway?" he _was_ genuinely curious about that. The only one who had access to the Universal Directory was Lord Frieza, and perhaps Adalina, but he was nearly certain the he wouldn't allow her to download _scary movies_.

"Technically, the directory is used to monitor culturistic changes within the galaxies that Frieza operates in and around. This is something culture related." she explained with a lilt to her voice, suggesting that she knew the excuse was terrible, but didn't quite care.

"We have absolutely nothing to do with Earth, actually, it was suppose to be destroyed years ago from what I understand. Apparently there's a Saiyan there by the name of Kakkarot, Raditz' brother."

Adalina yawned,

"Well he's not doing a very good job." the woman on screen was brutally stabbed with a shrill scream, drawing her attention back to the movie for a second.

Vegeta shrugged,

"Not my problem. That's something for his _majesty_ to deal with if ever the time should come." though the prospect of another Saiyan, out there and alive, made him think a bit.

"Of course. Do you wanna go get something sweet?" she asked as the credits on the movie rolled, eerie music playing in the background.

"Why?" he questioned suspiciously, giving her a side-long glance from where they sat on his bed.

"Because it is customary to give out candy on Halloween, but we probably don't have any candy. I _do_ however, have access to the confectionery in the cafeteria." she wasn't entirely sure why they had such an area in the cafeteria, but assumed it was only for higher ranking soldiers such as herself.

Vegeta scoffed,

"I will not partake in your childish endeavors any longer, I've already given you two hours of my time for this silly holiday." he grumbled, he wasn't one for sweets anyway.

Adalina sighed, and knew that he wouldn't budge. She was lucky she had gotten the rebellious teenager to even watch a movie with her. He was at the age where he didn't want to listen to anyone, and with his natural born pride, it was even worse. Frieza didn't put up with it though, and as much as she tried to prevent any violent outbursts between the two, it was becoming exceedingly difficult.

"I'll just go and find Frieza then." she stood and adjusted her crimson sweater dress, the outfit having been a gift from Arctica. It was an off day for her, because the majority of the soldiers were off planet on some training regimen or other. The only thing she really had to do was run the occasional errand for the tyrant.

"I'm sure he would _love_ to partake in your asinine jubilee." he followed her to the door, "Don't come crying to me when blows up."

Adalina shrugged and walked backwards out of the door, still facing him,

"I'm perfectly prepared to deal with him if such a thing were to happen."

"Of course you are." he replied sarcastically as the door hissed shut.

She sighed and turned around, heading for the throne room. She wasn't actually going to ask Frieza to participate in any festivities with her, because he would throw a fit. He may be getting better at the whole morality thing, but his personality was something that would never change.

The door opened for her and she stepped in, not bothering to knock, a formality that had long been forgotten. The tyrant was sitting in his hover chair, swirling a glass of red wine as he stared into the abyss of space.

"Do you need anything?" she asked politely, standing in front of him.

"Not at the moment, no. There's not a single piece of work for me to do." he replied in a bored tone, his head held up by one of his hands. She could understand why there wouldn't be much to do, all the soldiers were gone, and a lot of Frieza's clients were usually people requesting his army.

"It is quite boring around here tonight." she hoped she didn't jinx anything by saying such a thing, though a little excitement wouldn't hurt.

"Say, did you know that this is the same bottle of wine I offered you ten years ago?" he commented off-handedly, finding it amusing, "I only get it out rarely." he pulled another glass from the compartment in his hover-chair, "Would you like a glass _now_ , you're only a decade late."

"I told you, same as then-"

"You're 210 now, aren't you?" he cut her off.

Adalina thought about it for a second, and realized what he was saying. All those years ago she had refused him because she wasn't of age, and now she was. To be fair, she just didn't trust him and was looking for any excuse to deny him, but things were different back then.

"Ah, why not. But not much, since I don't know if I'll like it, and I don't want to waste anything." she reluctantly agreed.

The tyrant held back a smirk, he really shouldn't be giving a first-timer such a strong wine. All those years ago he had thought a hardened warrior such as herself could handle the drink, hence why he pulled it out, in hopes that it would calm her, but she had denied him.

Now, though, she was going to allow him the _pleasure_ of watching her stumble around after in-taking the aged 32 proof wine. It was a just punishment for messing around in the Universal directory, he supposed. Frieza assumed she was a light-weight, with her size, and lack of alcoholic history, so a glass or two should be enough to at least make her tipsy.

He used his telekinesis to tip the bottle of wine over and into her glass, filling the entire thing, much to her horror,

"You better not waste it, it's quite expensive." he smiled at her in a mocking manner.

She gingerly took the glass, still staring at it in disbelief,

"You're evil." she mumbled.

"So I've been told."

Adalina rolled her eyes at his antics before taking a tentative sip of the red liquid, her nose scrunching as it hit her taste buds. It wasn't horrible, but it certainly was different. She found herself taking another drink, this time a mouthful so as to experience it in full.

It was a peculiar taste and had something natural about it, organic almost. She took another drink, this time getting a good taste of the alcohol content. It was something she wouldn't drink everyday, maybe only rarely just to taste.

"I don't know if I'm a big fan of it." she took another drink, contradicting her statement, much to his amusement, "It's odd."

She had a rather fast metabolism, so the effects of the alcohol took root pretty quickly, which also meant that they would be gone rather quickly as well. Of course, how had he not thought about that? At least he would get a minute amount of entertainment from it.

Adalina's head felt lighter than it should and she sat the glass on his side table,

"That's some strong wine you've got there." she glared at him, knowing full well he had planned for this to happen.

He was about to reply when the ship rocked, sending the glasses and bottle of wine toppling to the floor. Adalina managed to catch the bottle, but watched in dismay as the glass shattered, red liquid spilling onto the floor.

The lights flickered, before shutting completely off.

"Lord Frieza sir! We seem to have entered a solar flare, all of the systems have shut down and the back up generators will not turn on."

The tyrant growled and didn't bother answering the soldier who had called him over his intercom. Of all the things that could have happened while his ship was empty, they just _had_ to enter a solar radiant.

"Come, we must go to the engine room and turn the shields on manually before the ship catches fire. It should restore the lights as well." he explained as he hurried towards the door.

Adalina fell into step with him, and despite her nocturnal vision, she was finding it hard to navigate the dark hallways. Must be that damned wine. Frieza was having no trouble as he walked to a door she had never been through. It hissed open and revealed a spiraling staircase.

A sense of foreboding filled her, and she wasn't sure why, but it almost made her reluctant to follow the tyrant as he descended, his tiny stature bopping up and down as he ran. She followed anyway, wary of her surroundings.

When they were once more settled on flat ground she took time to steady herself. She was feeling dizzy after the trip down stairs, no thanks to him. He continued at a brisk pace, and she followed, winding through unknown corridors until they reached a large piece of machinery,

"I can't believe I have to do this myself, but all the others who come down here are off planet." he grumbled to himself as he pressed a few buttons.

Adalina found his phrasing odd, however,

"Others who come down here? Are there only a few permitted to be in this level of the ship?" she asked.

Frieza finished what he was doing before answering her,

"A vast majority of the soldier believe this area to be haunted or cursed. They're more afraid of coming down here than the consequences that accompany their refusal, if you can believe that." he scoffed, "The shields are up, but the lights won't turn on for another few minutes, the batteries have to be revitalized by the generators. Of course, the emergency lights are activated upstairs for the time being."

She thought over his words, and suddenly found herself wanting to get back to the upper levels as soon as possible,

"L-lets go back then, since there are no emergency lights down here." she didn't believe in the power of suggestion, but now that he had mentioned ghosts she felt like something was watching them. She wasn't all that superstitious, but a lot of things happened when one was mildly buzzed.

Frieza smirked as he caught the slight tremble in her voice, this would be a perfect opportunity to entertain himself. What a delightful turn of events. He phased into the next corridor as quickly as he could, not giving her time to register what had happened.

Adalina blinked, he had left her. He had left her there in the dark with no way of getting back,

"Frieza?" she called out timidly, "This isn't funny I don't know how to get back upstairs."

Something fell from the shelf beside her, clattering to the floor with a loud thunk. It was a tool of some sort, but she didn't care. She held back a squeak and ran to the other side of the shelving, hoping to catch Frieza red-handed.

No one. Not a thing.

She backed up and turned, briskly walking down the corridor in front of her. She didn't know where she was going, but anything was better than being in that room. Frieza refrained from cackling as she rand by his hiding spot in haste. She didn't even bother _looking_ , she just ran.

Adalina stopped running looked around her,

"Seriously. Come on." she whined, hoping the tyrant would pity her for once.

It didn't work.

Something tapped her on the shoulder and she screamed, jumping into the air. She did a spin and saw none other than Frieza standing there, a malicious grin plastered on his delicate features,

"Happy Halloween, and by the way, refrain from downloading useless things off of the Universal Directory." he reprimanded her. So that's what this was about.

To be fair, she was glad he had opted to scare her rather than make her do chores.

"I hate you sometimes you know." she grumbled, "Let's get back upstairs, this place is creepy."

Frieza scoffed and began walking in the opposite way she was headed, only further evidence that she had been completely lost,

"You don't actually believe such nonsense, do you?"

"Well, no, but it is kind of eerie down here, wouldn't you say?" she replied sheepishly, feeling like a child under his presence.

"I suppose, if you're a coward."

Another tool flew from the shelf she had passed by earlier, startling the both of them. Adalina reacted on instinct and grabbed onto the tyrant's arm, while his eyes widened. She glared up at him,

"You can stop doing that now, it's not funny anymore."

"That wasn't me." he was telling the truth, and she could tell. Some things were hard to fake, and she knew he wouldn't feign being startled for a mere prank.

Adalina released his arm and they shared a glance before quickening their pace, heading straight up the stairs once more.

She supposed it had been a rather _interesting_ Halloween. And one thing was for certain, she would _not_ be returning to the engine rooms anytime soon. And perhaps, the same could be said for the mighty Lord Frieza.

 _ **A/N: And there you have it folks, the Halloween special! I decided to upload it straight into the actual story because I will not be uploading chapter 17 this week. I've been working on this( to be honest, I needed this cute little filler cause I was beginning to grow weary of writing dark stuff), so you're getting this instead of an actual chapter. Sorry if that disappoints any of you. Expect the new chapter to be out on November 9th!**_

 _ **I would also like to say, that I did not receive any reviews for chapter 16, which is a bit disconcerting. I love reading reviews, and they help me see if anyone is reading or not. Even if it's just a quick 'cool story bro', I encourage you to tell me what you think!**_

 _ **Peace out.**_


	18. Chapter 17

_Chapter Seventeen_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

 _2 years later_

 _Adalina hadn't even noticed how much time had passed since she had come to know Frieza, not that it mattered too much anyway. Twelve years was but a drop of water in the ocean when compared to her life-span. Though it did allow for her to know the tyrant much better. But to think, in all those years, they had not once found themselves intangled in bed like the first night they had slept together...well, until now._

Frieza awoke slowly, cracking his eyes open to reveal ruby red orbs filled with disdain. Despite being conditioned to rise early, he still wasn't a morning person and never would be. He certainly enjoyed his sleep, despite what others might think.

He froze as he felt something foriegn nuzzled against his collar bone. His eyes slowly slid downward to glare at the person who dare touch him in such a manner. She had one hand curled in front of her, against his chest, and the other tucked under her pillow. He was laying flat on his back with both his hands at his side.

They had gone twelve years without such a thing happening. The first time had been his own fault, admittedly, but he certainly hadn't thought the woman would ever be the one to initiate the act, unconsciously or otherwise. She still regarded him with some caution, after-all.

He found himself unable to move away from her though. She radiated warmth, a feeling he didn't get to experience often, as his body temperature was much colder than any other species'.

He also didn't want to wake her. Why he had suddenly decided to consider her feelings was beyond him, but no matter how much he berated himself on the matter he couldn't bring himself to rousing the young woman.

Adalina's eyes suddenly snapped open, and she was acutely aware of the position she was in. She instantly jumped from the bed like a startled cat, her cheeks flaring an interesting shade of pink. How embarressing!

"I am so sorry, I didn't do it on purpose-"

"I'm not interested in excuses. It happened and there's nothing that can be done to change it. I suppose you could say we're even now." he had raised his hand to hault her nervous stammering. He had done the same thing, so he really didn't have much ground to stand on when it came to yelling at her over the matter. It would be best to just leave it be.

"Right." she calmed herself. He would _know_. He wasn't stupid, not by a long shot. In fact, he was one of the most observant people she knew. He would know that she had developed feelings for him, and then he would do his best to seperate himself from her, and she didn't want that. She was still unsure how it had happened, he was a tyrant, he had kidnapped her, and killed her people. And yet, something stirred inside of her.

Frieza took in her flustered state and almost found himself blushing right along with her, but for a different reason. Her vulnerable state had a certain appeal to it. Of course she was pretty, he had come to terms with that long ago, when they had first met to be precise. But never had he expanded on that, never had it affected him.

But she was beautiful.

What was he saying? He scowled and cleared his head. He didn't have time for such nonsense, he was a tyrant, a very busy one at that. She was his second in command and though their relationship was more _friendly_ than professional, that didn't mean he would develope any type of feelings for her.

"I have an assignment for you to take our pleasent little Prince on today." he managed to say after a few brief moments.

Adalina nodded, still hung up on the expression that had adorned his face before he had smothered it with one of his signature scowls. His eyes had gone wide, his mouth had opened slightly, and he looked...scared, or maybe enlightened. She wasn't sure if he had even realized he was making such a face.

She wasted no time in occupying the bathroom while the tyrant left to his throne room, mind heavy with thoughts he couldn't make sense of. Why had this suddenly happened? Why was his head swimming with questions? He hadn't wanted to get out of bed, and something told him that if the woman hadn't awoken on her own, they would still be tangled in the same position. He understood none of it!

He took a seat in his usual spot, staring out into space as his mind drifted to a time long ago...

"Frieza, you must always remember that you're allowed to feel compassion. You are allowed to grieve when another does, and feel joyous when they do. It's part of being alive, no matter what your father tries to drill into your head. You are so much more than a cold-hearted ruler, you are destined for greatness." his mother chided, her lean form crouched in front of him, both hands on his shoulders, "And perhaps the greatest thing I can tell you, is to never forget what love is, what it feels like. I love you, and I'm sure you love me as well. Keep that feeling forever."

He had been young then, not even a teenager, so he hadn't really taken her words to heart. But now they seemed to be playing at full blast in his cluttered mind. Certainly he didn't love the girl? No, that _was_ absurd. Things like that didn't happen in an instant. But, they had certainly spent a lot of time together over the years. He shook his head, he would know if it was _that_ , as he did still remember the emotion well enough to know what its characteristics were.

But perhaps he did have romantic feelings towards her? Perhaps it was the beginnings of something he'd rather not think about. The concept of having a partner wasn't new to him, his father had pushed all sorts of women in his direction in hopes he'd marry and produce an heir. They would court for a time, then he would _dispose_ of them when they got annoying. He hadn't liked any of them, not even a little.

This feeling he had was different.

He had always just ignored those odd twinges, but it would seem they were trying to warn him ahead of time. He'd get them whenever he made her unhappy, and sometimes even when he'd make her laugh. There were different feelings for different emotions, ones he didn't understand all too well.

 _Compassion_.

Was he subconsciously empathizing with the girl, placing himself in her shoes and reacting accordingly? It certainly seemed that way, and if that was the case...

He had feelings for her.

No.

No he did not, it couldn't be, there was no way. She was irrtatingly sweet, always meddling in his affairs, gave him more trouble than she was worth sometimes, and of course, got him in trouble on quite a few occasions.

But she also stood up for him quite often, and did his paper-work when he wanted to retire early, and she always made sure he didn't stress himself out over menial things.

Frieza shook his head once more, setting his eyes in a glare. He would not list the pros and cons of having her around any longer. He would end her pathetic existance and save himself a headache. He would be able to do it easily, because he _didn't have feelings for her_. She had more than likely reached her limit and wouldn't get any stronger. She was useless to him now.

Adalina and Vegeta stood beside their respective pods, preparing for take off. The Saiyan was seventeen years old, and the worst thing had happened. She had predicted it, and even still she found herself irritated with its results.

The prince was a good four inches taller than her now, having hit a growth spurt sometime after his birthday. He teased her about it constantly, well, not so much as teasing, more mocking. But that was Vegeta, and she had grown use to his abrasive nature over the years.

"I don't understand why you have to go with me every time. I'm not a child any longer." his voice was deeper, more masculine.

"Because Frieza said so." was her simple reply, "And besides, this guy is apparently extremely dangerous. Should anything happen, I'll be there to provide back-up."

He said nothing as he stepped into his space-pod, Adalina sighing and doing the same. He was such a prideful boy, she was sure that if it came down to it, he'd rather die than have his image shattered, and that scared her. She had tried her hardest to ease it out of him, but with no luck, he was stubborn, a trait all Saiyans shared.

Adalina lazily typed in the coordinates for Planet Tetramondii where all the commotion was happening. Apparently their people were being slowly picked off in large groups, cities at a time it would seem. The creepy thing? Not a sound was heard when it happened in the dead of night.

There was something suspicious about it, and they would get to the bottom of it.

The ships blasted off in unison, heading for the perilous planet. It was owned by Frieza, and thankfully they weren't far off, maybe five minutes away. Her instincts were becoming restless, telling her that the trip was a bad idea. To be honest, she had had an uneasy feeling ever since the tyrant had informed her of the mission. Something felt off.

She sighed, finding travel quite boring. She had a creative mind that was fascinated by new and exciting things and space got quite redundant after a while. Though the prospect of visiting a new planet did perk her up a bit.

The red ball came into view a moment later and she instantly locked onto the darker half of the planet, indicating it was night there. It was their plan, to catch the culprit in action, as it seemed the only way to apprehend the elusive character.

Adalina braced herself for landing as the pod rocketed through the atmosphere, taking on fire and debris as it fought against the air. She hated landing, she always felt like the tiny ship was going to break apart with her inside. Of course, her fear of tight spaces didn't help all that much either.

The space pod crashed into the rich brown dirt, so deep a color it was almost black, contrasting beautifully with the darkened crimson sky-line. There was already someone waiting to greet them, a warrior on the planet. The hatch swung open, allowing her to get a better view of the alien.

The Tetramondiians reproduced asexually so she wasn't sure what to call the person standing before her, so she settled on male, with his masculine figure and strong jaw. They were an odd species, their skin was black as night and their eyes were bright pink. They lacked body hair, adding to their odd visage. They were quite tall as well, the man before her had to be seven or more feet. Their ears were circular, much like Frieza's.

"Hello, it's nice to see you made it okay. My name is Zeta" they spoke the universal language*, thank goodness. She knew a lot of different languages, but even she could come up for a loss somtimes.

" Nice to meet you, I'm Adalina, thank you for greeting us." she replied politely.

Vegeta hopped from his pod and glared at her,

"We haven't got time for chit-chat woman." he snapped.

Adalina rolled her eyes at his impatience,

"For your information, Vegeta, he's suppose to be telling us where the most recent attack happned." she explained with her hands on her hips, "I'm sorry for his rude nature, he's a Saiyan."

Zeta nodded in understanding, only needing to hear what race the boy was to understand his brash behavior,

"The most recent attack was at 223, 593, and if the same pattern holds the next town to be hit will be 245, 603." Adalina wasted no time in plugging the numbers into her scouter.

"Right, got it." she nodded, "Do you have an estimated time for when these attacks take place?"

He shook his head solemnly,

"There's never anything left, no way to place the time of death."

Adalina's brows furrowed, now that was most certainly odd. She thought that there would at least be a body or two,

"We'd better get going then." she turned to Vegeta, "Come on, let's go."

Zeta waved at them as they took to the air,

"Take care!" he shouted after their retreating forms.

They flew at top speed, well, at Vegeta's top speed, which was surprisingly fast. But not faster than her, no, not yet. The teenager had been pushing himself as of late, trying to match her in strength. She was a little more powerful than Frieza in his first form, and that in and of itself made her the strongest other than the tyrant himself. She wasn't sure if she could get any stronger, but she knew that the Saiyan definitely could with his Zenkai ability.

He had gotten beaten badly a few times over the years, and each time after he had become much stronger. He was shaping up to be a fine warrior, much to Frieza's disdain. He would never admit it, but the tyrant was scared of the Super Saiyan legend. She had told him that she would do everything in her power to make sure that if such a thing were to happen, she would keep the peace.

Her scouter beeped, alerting her to their close proxcimity to the landing sight. She slowed down, and the Saiyan followed as they descended, coming upon a large town. There were lights still on in some of the buildings, indicating that there may still be life.

When they landed she did a quick span for power levels and was relieved to find multiple living beings still bustling about. It must have just turned night not long ago in that area. They had made it before anything had happened.

"Everything seems fine here, are you sure we're in the right place?" Vegeta grumbled, his arms crossed over his chest.

Adalina sighed and gave him a look,

"You have to be patient. We're waiting for it to show up here." she explained, "Think of it like a trap. It will show up here to do whatever it's been doing, and then we'll strike. Understand?"

He scoffed but didn't reply, choosing instead to cross his arms and take a seat on the ground. She sighed and followed suit, sitting in the dark grass. They were a little ways out from the town, just far enough to not be conspicuous.

No sooner had she got nestled into her spot did the town go completely black. All the lights shut off at once and the streets seemed to have been consumed by a dome of shadows. It wasn't a normal darkness, as even her nocturnal vision couldn't penetrate it.

"I think that's our que." Vegeta said as he jumped to his feet and took off towards the mess.

Adalina's instincts perked up, something was _very_ wrong, and she just knew that the teen wouldn't be able to handle it on his own. She took off at a sprint and dashed ahead of him, into the center of the town.

People were being consumed by the roiling shadows, screaming for help at every corner. She came to a stop upon seeing a person from which the black mass seemed to originate. He was slender and almost feminine, but not enough to where he would be mistaken for a woman, his lean muscle mass threw away that worry. He had inky black hair, sickly pale skin, curling white horns, animal-like, rust colored ears, and perhaps the most disturbing of all; his eyes were completely black.

He gave her a fanged grin as Vegeta caught up with her, this man was like the others, like that assassin and Meredith all those years ago. She thought they had been rid of them, but it would seem she was wrong,

She fired a ki blast at him, but it was stopped by a red shield in the shape of a star within a circle, odd symbols decorating its perimeter. She growled and quickly tied her hair up, preparing for a fist fight,

"Let me handle this, Vegeta. He's too much for you and to be honest he's probably too much for me."

The Saiyan growled,

"No way, this is too good to miss."

"You can help if that'll make you feel better."

Adalina clicked her scouter in an attempt to read the man's power level, and when nothing showed up it only confirmed her assumption. She pressed the button that sent video feed directly to Frieza's HUD,

"Frieza, last time this happened you told me that I should inform you. So I'm informing you." she commented.

The tyrant scowled but didn't respond. He wouldn't help them, because there was a chance that he'd get lucky and they would perish without him having to lift a finger. Though the prospect of losing her made his chest clench painfully. He ignored it.

But he was left to wonder, who was this person and why did their cronies continually cause him problems? Someone was certainly conspiring against him, he'd known that ever since that assassin had entered his ship. But who?

"Who are you?" Adalina shouted over the roar of screams around her, she wanted to save them, but she didn't know how.

The man smirked and held his hands out, murmuring something under his breath. The shadows suddenly dispersed, and with them, the screaming. Everyone was gone, save for Adalina, Vegeta, and the mysterious man.

He shoved his hands in his pockets and leaned back non-chalantly,

"The name's Baphomet, but you can call me Baph, sweet heart." he winked at the end of his sentence causing a disgusting feeling to settle in her stomach.

"No thanks. Why are you here? And you better have a damn good reason, because you're trespassing on a planet owned by Lord Frieza." she took a threatening step forward, her eyes set in a glare.

Baph raised his hands,

"I'm not looking for a fight, merely running an errand. Though, you must be Adalina, and you must be Vegeta. If that's the case, I've made a mistake and my boss is gonna jump down my throat." he didn't seem to be lying, "Look, these people died for a good cause, I promise." his voice dropped down to a sinister octave as he tilted his head.

Vegeta launched himself at the creep, fist raised high and ready to strike. The young Saiyan didn't get far before the man opposite him made a move,

"Confuto." he calmly stated, holding his hand out.

Adalina held her breath as the teen suddenly stopped, muscles twitching like he was fighting against a restraint. She ran forward, towards the man. If she knew he was using the power of suggestion, she could bypass it. Frieza had conditioned her to fight all sorts of psychic powers, and for that, she was thankful.

"Confuto." he murmured again, a grin spreading across his face.

She felt the familiar tug of suggestion, and repressed it, ignoring it as best she could and continuing forward. The look on Baph's face said it all, no one had ever denied him before. She threw a punch, landing a direct hit on his jaw, sending a spray of black blood past his lips.

He whipped his head back around and glared at her, scrubbing the trail of dark liquid from his lips,

"You bitch." that was a new one, she thought, "Looks like I'm going to have to resort to actual spells." he murmured. But if he did that, _she_ would know where he was, and would know he screwed up. Ah, to hell with it, he wasn't a fighter and this Adalina most certainly was.

She swung a kick at him, but he managed to catch her ankle. He was still pretty strong,

"Somnus." he shouted, a flash of red light accompanying his words this time.

Adalina suddenly felt very drowsy and began losing consciousness. The world was going dark and she began panicking, but there was nothing she could do,

"I'm not allowed to kill you, so enjoy your nap." Baphomet snapped as he dropped her ankle, letting her hit the ground.

Vegeta had become mobile once more and tried to chase after the man, but he had already disappeared in a swirl of inky black shadows. So much for a good fight, he thought bitterly. He turned to the unconsciouss woman on the ground and felt anger, he couldn't protect her. Of course she would be okay, but he still felt helpless.

He crouched down and tapped her cheek, hoping she would awaken,

"Adalina, get up. We need to go."

She didn't respond. It was likely she would be out for a while. Vegeta sighed and picked her up, throwing her over his shoulder. He would make sure she got 'home' safely, even if he was a bit agitated at the whole ordeal.

He clicked his scouter,

"My Lord, Adalina has been knocked unconscious by some form of mental suggestion. She's mostly fine otherwise." he informed him gruffly.

The tyrant sighed,

"Just put her to bed when you get back, then come see me."

Frieza lazily stared out the window, perhaps she would still be out by the time they reached the ship? Would that make it easier to end her meaningless existance? He was in a state of turmoil, he knew that killing her would end all his troubles, but at the same time, he found himself second-guessing his decision. He enjoyed her company, that was the problem, and yet he wanted to _continue_ enjoying her company. He clenched his fist, he couldn't, he had already changed so many things because of her and if they continued down such a path he knew that there would be dire consequences.

He hadn't thought he would become affectionate towards the girl; afterall, his plan had been to break her and mold her into something deadly. He had killed thousands, perhaps millions of her people and had kidnapped her. She constantly back-talked him, and made his life difficult. She hated him, even if she tried to hide it. And yet, he some how found that appealing. Not many had the guts to stand up to him.

Which was precisely why she needed to go.

A small signal on his HUD alerted him to the two pods that had safely docked on the ship, causing a nervousness to build in his chest. He waited patiently for Vegeta to make his way into the throne room, tapping his fingers lightly.

The door hissed open, the Saiyan's never did have any manners,

" Adalina is in your quarters. I'm assuming you want to know what happened down there?'

"That would be nice, yes. And lose the attitude, it won't prolong your life any time soon." he replied in a biting tone.

Vegeta clenched his fists but complied, recounting the story in the most professional way he could muster,

"He was something else, that was for sure. Just like the other times, with the assassin and Meredith. There's something suspicious going on." he hated how useless he had been during all three incidents.

"Yes I've realized that. You may leave now." he waved his hand dismissively.

The Saiyan teen wasted no time in leaving the room; he couldn't stand breathing the same air as the Arcosian.

Frieza waited a few moments before leaving and heading straight for his room, where he hoped to find the Zandonian still sleeping. He would get it over with, and move on with his life. He should have killed her the first day they met.

The door hissed open, revealing a pitch black room, and still unconscious woman in the middle of his oval shaped bed. He walked towards her, hands clasped behind his back. He found himself dreading the act, something unfamiliar to him.

He pushed it down, ignoring it. What he was doing was logical, and so very easy. He had done it thousands of times.

He lifted a delicate finger and charged a small beam of purple ki, aiming it directly at her heart, he would at least make it quick. He nearly released the energy when striking yellow eyes opened to stare at him,

"Frieza, what are you doing?" she asked groggily.

He couldn't do it. He instantly disbanded the energy.

"I was checking on you, but I didn't want to turn all of the lights on." he lied smoothly, his voice carrying a bored tone.

She sat up and flicked the lamp beside her on,

"Well, I'm not dead." she smiled at him.

"What would you say if I allowed you to leave, for good?" he testily stated, that was one way to get her out of his life.

Adalina tilted her head, not sure where the sudden question had come from,

"I would say no thanks. I don't have anywhere else to go, I'm sure my people all think I'm a traitor by now. Why?"

He smirked,

"I was merely testing you." he was behaving oddly, something must have happened. But she knew better than to press the matter.

Adalina nodded and looked towards the clock, there was still time left in the day for her to do things,

"I think I'll get dressed and go condition the new recruits, all five of them." she chuckled lightly, "Though, they certainly are a rowdy bunch."

Frieza clasped his hands behind his back once more and turned towards the door,

"See to it that you do."

 _He had been so very angry with himself after the incident. Every little thing she did seemed to get a reaction out of him and he absolutely loathed it, but there was nothing he could do. It wasn't her fault, something he would never readily admit,but then again it wasn't his fault either. For who could be at fault for merely having feelings for another? Even if it would be his undoing. He would try his best to surpress them for the time being._

Somewhere, deep in the galaxy, a man by the name of Baphomet was getting quite the ear-full,

"You idiot! I told you to steer clear of Frieza's domain, and you waltz right in there like you own the place. Do you understand how strong that girl is? How strong _he_ is? You could have gotten killed!" the voice shouted with an urgency.

"I'm very sorry my liege! I didn't realize where I was, I'll make sure to look at a map, because this space ordeal is quite new to me."

"See to it that you do."

 _ **A/N: *Not sure what the universal language is but lets call it English for now.**_

 _ **Look ,it happened finally! But it won't be what you're all hoping for, not yet anyway. Also, sorry if any of this seemed bland or dull. I was raising a kitten, and it died the other day. I was a bit heart broken, since I had tried so hard to keep it alive. Poor thing was just too weak. Not to mention, November isn't a good month for me, for reasons I will not disclose.**_

 _ **A picture of Baphomet has also been uploaded to my deviantart. My user name is kurokagamiimeji**_

 _ **Anyway, next chapter: A death in the family, a new bauble is found**_


	19. Chapter 18

_Chapter Eighteen_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

 _3 years later_

 _While three years may seem like a lot of time to think for some,the tyrant and his second found the time comparable to a few months at most. Neither of them had any idea of the thoughts going on in each other's heads, causing some discord between them. Frieza, for the most part, ignores his feelings the best he can. Adalina,however, has a much harder time. She's an empathetic person, and very in touch with her emotions. She feels like she's betraying herself by ignoring her feelings; but what else can she do? Everything she's worked towards would slip through her fingers if he were to find out. The tyrant has the opposite idea, if the woman were privy to his true feelings, then he would be bending to her will, becoming the morally competent man she's trying to mold. Not to mention she loathed him, and it would make their relationship a very difficult one._

"A new piece should be appearing very soon." Frieza tapped his screen impatiently, searching the the cosmos for anything suspicious, "So why hasn't it?"

"Maybe it'll show up tomorrow?" Adalina supplied calmly, knowing he was agitated.

"It's suppose to show up today." he replied, irritation rising.

Adalina sighed lightly, he wouldn't calm down any time soon, he was more impatient than usual that day, but she wasn't sure why. Perhaps he shared the same bad feeling she had? Ever since waking up, a feeling of dread had been brewing in her chest. Something wasn't right. Maybe he knew that too.

"Patience is a virture." she supplied in the sweetest tone possible, though it may have only served to further his frustration.

"I am not a very patient man." he sighed deeply, "If it hasn't shown up by now, then something must have happened to it, don't you understand what that means?"

"Of course I do! I just don't want you to stress yourself out over it. You're already irritated as it is." she meekly stated the last part, as she wasn't sure what his reaction would be.

"You would do well to quit prating on about such things, I've told you many times that I do not need nor appreciate your melancholic empathy." he was scowling and she knew it was time to back down.

"I'm going to go check on the staff and see if it's reacting to anything." she quickly left the room, leaving him alone to think.

He was paranoid, that was for certain, for the last time a piece was retrieved, his father had been involved and had been acting quite suspiciously. He would be a fool to think that something wasn't wrong, not to mention he had a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach.

The tyrant clenchd his fists, he couldn't fathom why the woman had tried to undermine the situation. She wasn't naive, she knew something wasn't right as well, so why would she turn a blind eye to it? Though perhaps she was right, there was a possibility that he was causing undo stress to himself, and that could cause his decisions to become less than rational.

Frieza scowled lightly, she was affecting his decisions once again, something he was trying to avoid. But when he looked at the situation, doing anything opposite of what she said would be foolish, for she was merely suggesting what his subconsciousness was already telling him.

"How quaint." he mumbled aloud without even thinking, scoffing as he tapped his tail against his hover pod. His feelings for her hadn't changed, no matter how hard he had tried to cast them away.

Adalina entered the room once more, an urgency in her step,

"The staff, it's glowing brighter than usual, something isn't right."

His eyes widened and he quickly phased from the room, Adalina hot on his heels. He got to his quarters, and sure enough, the orb was illuminating the room, beaming much brighter than he had ever seen it. He knew what it meant though,

"One of the pieces was disturbed before the cloak was deactivated." he growled, "Someone must have known its location prior to the designated time in which the shield would reveal it. More than likely it was either left in this person's care, or the one who originally cast it away, kept a part for themselves, which is impossible."

"How so?" Adalina questioned timidly, soaking up as much information as possible.

"My mother was the one who dispersed the pieces." he explained, "Which means it is entirely possible that she may have hid one within the palace, and my father may have access to it." though he was baffled as to why she would hide two pieces on their home planet.

She was about to reply when they were interrupted by a video call blaring over his HUD. He instantly recognized who it was and hastily answered it, the image appearing in mid-air before them,

"Frieza! Something's not right here, a man in a hood somehow managed to infiltrate the palace, he's battling with your father right now." Arctica frantically explained, "He's like nothing I've ever seen before, I can't even get near him."

"Show me, I need video feed." he commanded snappily.

She nodded, brushing off his abrasive nature, understanding how dire the situation was. She shuffled around with something in front of her until they were shown a seperate feed of the throne room in tatters,

"You're interfering with our plans, Kold. You were useful in the beginning, now you're merely annoying. You thought you could take the staff? Use it for your own musings? Your plan would have worked, had my master not felt the pull as soon as the bauble was disturbed."

Arctica's elegant features were twisted in concern,

"Apparently Kold was going to hide a piece of the Galaxy Staff from you, wait until you had the full set, and then take it. But it seems this man and his master seem to have the same plan."

Frieza listened intently to her words, but that is not what concerned him. The man he was seeing on screen was most certainly the one who had infilitrated his ship and injured his second all those years ago.

"That's the assassin." Adalina confirmed, "But he's different somehow, he seems stronger."

The tyrant could see it as well, the man was cocky and over-confident, even though he was against an opponent of unfathomable strength. He was either much stronger or he had a trick up his sleeve.

"So you know him? I thought so." Arctica winced as she watched the assassin take a rather nasty hit from King Kold's tail, "He's unsettling."

"He infiltrated my ship while we were in the middle of space." Frieza commented, "He's not a normal adversary."

Adalina had a sudden, dreadful thought,

"Where's Polarra?" she questioned, concern evident in her tone.

Arctica smiled slightly,

"She's just fine. She's off with Cooler right now." the Arcosian woman was greatful that her daughter was not in any danger.

They all watched avidly as the assassin danced around Kold with terrifying ease, seeming to phase in and out of existance. His face was still covered by that damned cowl, so it was nearly impossible to get a good look at his face.

"Baph, it's time!" he shouted, and Adalina instantly recognized the name.

"That's that damned man we encountered on Tetramondii. He's a trickster."

Baphomet seemed to appear from the shadows as everyone watched with baited breath, Arctica cowering by the door of the throne room, waiting for a chance to escape. It was the first time Frieza had laid eyes upon the newcomer, and even he thought the black-eyed _creature_ was quite unsettling.

"There's something not quite right with that one." he observed, "Will they be able to take down my father though? Or will they kill each other? It would save me a lot of trouble." he bitterly stated.

"I'm not sure. Your father is really strong, and unless those two have something up their sleeves, there's no way in hell they'll be able to overpower him." the Zandonian woman had her brows furrowed, a contemplative look on her face.

"You father was injured recently, actually." Arctica began, "He tried to take on the entirety of Besmon's army by himself. Naturally, since it's a warrior planet, he didn't come out in perfect condition. He's not at full power right now."

Frieza was quite indifferent to the situation, as he really didn't care for his father. The bastard had done nothing but degrade and use him for years. He was more concerned with the two beings that were no doubt plotting against him.

The assassin seemed to melt into shadows on screen, materializing behind the giant Arcosian and holding him in place with roiling black tendrils,

"Do it now, Baph." he urgently commanded.

Baphomet nodded and began frantically murmuring under his breath, his hands splayed out in front of him.

Kold struggled but to no avail, sending glares towards Arctica as she merely stood by and watched,

"You coward! You could at least help me!" he shouted at her.

Her eyes went wide as attention was drawn to her, and she instantly ducked behind a bench,

"Crap, they're gonna kill me!" she whispered.

The cold tyrant clenched his fists,

"Nonsense, they won't lay a hand on you, it isn't how they work. They seem to only kill for neccessity, not for fun." he did care about his aunt, and would be livid if anything were to happen to her.

"I hope you're right because it looks like they're about done with your father."

Kold was writhing in agony at this point as his body was sucked into the black hole that had opened in front of him. No one was sure where it led, but it couldn't be good. It was quite possible that the king was in fact, dying.

The chanting stopped and with it, the portal. The hulking Arcosian was gone, not a trace left.

Frieza's jaw had dropped slightly during the ordeal, eyes wide. If they could do that to his father, who knew what they could do to him? He had to be on guard at all times.

Adalina was equally as shocked, and for the same reasons. They had taken down one of the strongest people she knew, there was no way she would stand a chance. On their own they weren't much, but together it seemed they were quite the formidable force.

Arctica trembled as Baphomet walked towards her, sickly sweet grin plastered on his features,

"Would you be kind enough to give this to Lord Frieza? I'm sure he's looking for it." he said politely as he dropped a glowing bauble from his hand.

The Arcosian woman fumbled to catch it, giving him a suspicious look,

"Get out." she growled.

"Alright, we will, sweetheart." he winked at her, "I hope we meet again."

"Stop flirting, you imbecile, we have to leave, quickly." the assasin commanded snappily.

With one last smirk, Baphomet returned to his partner, the two disapearing in a mess of roiling black shadows. It was a sight to see, that was for certain. And the sickening feeling Arctica had in the pit of her stomach would atest to that.

Frieza and Adalina both relaxed, seeing that it was over,

"The King is missing." Adalina stated non-chalantly, "What a pity."

"Yes, what a pity indeed. Arctica, does this mean Cooler will have to step in?" Frieza also seemed very bored with the situation.

Arctica's brow's rose slightly, she couldn't believe how alike the two sounded at the moment, perhaps they were spending too much time around each other?

"Technically, yes, since he is the Crown Prince, but he has stated many times that he would rather not rule. Then that means the responsibilty would go to you."

"Out of the question, I'm much too busy and I practically run this empire anyway." he quickly replied.

"Then the only option left, is me. I could hold down the fort until Cooler decides he wants the throne. I've been doing your father's job for years now, since he's always been too enthralled with battle and other _things_ to actually worry about his subjects." she rolled her eyes, "I'll explain it to the council but I'm going to need both you and your brother here as soon as possible."

Frieza pulled up his directory, studying the route they were currently on,

"We could be there in an hour or so.",they were near Arcos and could stop there on their way to planet Coridas.

"Wonderful, I'll contact Cooler then, and we'll be set. See you in an hour." she ended the call, leaving a defeaning silence behind in Frieza's quaters. The Galaxy staff wasn't glowing as brightly, but it still held an urgency to it.

The tyrant sent out a mesage to the control room, informing them of the new stop they would be making. Adalina was the first to break the silence,

"So what does this mean?" she questioned timidly, "You saw what those two are capable of, and it would seem that they'll be coming after us once the staff is nearly complete."

Frieza sighed and clasped his hands behind his back, turning to fully face her,

"It means that we will merely have to devise a way to combat them. The staff won't be complete for another ten years, so we have time. I've worked much too hard obtaining these pieces to allow some dastardly freaks to take it from me." and perhaps, they wouldn't be able to handle him at full power.

"Maybe we should start training again?" she suggested.

"Perhaps you're right."

They arrived on planet Arcos without any trouble, Adalina still marveling at the beautiful white palace she had only been inside of twice. Once when they were retrieving another bauble, and then a second time to pick up supplies.

They walked into the palace and entered the throne room, where they were greeted by an army of servants cleaning the area and trying to get it back into order. Arctica and Cooler were in the center, discussing something.

"They really did a number on this place." Adalina commented.

The two stopped their conversation and looked over to see the tyrant and his second, Arctica beaming as she quickly walked towards them,

"It seems like it's been forever." she said as she wrapped her arms around the both of them in a quick hug.

"It's been an hour." Frieza replied blandly, stepping away from her as she released them.

"You know what I mean. It's been a while since I've physically seen you, there is a difference you know. All you youngsters and your technology." she placed a hand on her hip, only adding to her sassy nature. The woman extended one hand towards her nephew, dropping the galaxy colored bauble into his hand, "Take care of that."

Cooler came to stand beside his aunt, standing a few inches taller than her,

"You actually came, I'm surprised little brother." Frieza instantly bristled at his brother's condescending tone, narrowing his eyes dangerously.

"Cooler, I have told you many times that I am more than capable of ending your meaningless existance, so why do you continue to taunt me? It isn't wise." he growled.

"Then why haven't you?" Cooler smirked and looked down on the smaller Arcosian, only agitating him further.

"Boys." Arctica warned, seeing that a fight was bound to break out, "Why can't you two get along for just this once? We have a serious situation on our hands. Your father is missing or is quite possibly dead. We need to inform the public, and put someone else in charge. That someone will be myself, but we can't get any of it done if I don't have your complete cooperation."

They were both glaring at each other, but relented, each giving a nod of aggreeance,

"I'm assuming I can't be present for royal matters, so I'll go find Polarra." Adalina sweetly commented in an attempt to break the tension.

"She should be in her room, I'm sure she would love to see you." Arctica replied.

She nodded and headed in that direction, leaving the three family members alone. The elegant woman waved her hand in the direction of the council room,

"Shall we?"

The council members were made up of five nobles, most of which Frieza loathed. He could very easily dismemeber each and everyone of them, yet he had to listen to their words and play nice for the sake of 'democracy'.

"Gentlemen, I'm sure you already know what we have to discuss."

"Yes, that two intruders were strong enough to take down King Kold, yet you're all acting so non-chalant about it." Arctica was immediately cut off by the head of the council.

"I'd advise you watch your tongue, Frigus." Frieza spat, "I'll be handling the situation personally, which means there's nothing to be concerned about."

Arctica sighed, this was going to be a long meeting, she was sure of it.

"I found you! Adalina you're not very good at hiding." the young Arcosian shouted gleefully as she pulled the older woman from behind the curtains in the main entrance.

"To be fair, you know these grounds much better than I do, that gives you a home advantage."

The young girl beamed with her hands on her hips. She had grown some since they had initailly met, leading her to believe that their species grew rapidly when young and then stopped at a certain point. Zandonians aged like most other species until age eighteen, at which point they would not grow any further until they reached the age of one hundred and eighty. She assumed this to be true for Arcosians as well.

"I'm bored, let's do something else. Can I braid your hair?" she didn't even wait for the woman to say yes before grabbing her hand and rushing her off to her powder pink room. It was definitely fit for a little girl living in a castle.

She took a seat on the edge of the bed and allowed the young girl to get situated behind her.

A few moments of comfortable silence filled the air as she worked her nimble fingers into a tight braid. It was relaxing for the both of them after such a hectic day,

"Say, if you and Frieza get married, would that make you my cousin too?" it was an innocent question but it nearly made Adalina choke.

"What makes you think we're going to get married?" she asked,"We're not dating or anything like that."

Polarra made a silent 'o' with her mouth before continuing,

"Well, you two like each other don't you? Mom's the one who pointed it out." The Zandonian had to love the young girl's childish curiousity, but her mother was another story. She was wise, and understood a lot of things, it would seem.

"We're just friends. But to answer your question, technically I would be your cousin, but only due to marriage." she was blushing furiously, even though the little girl couldn't see it. Was it that obvious? And what did she mean by 'you two', was it possible Frieza also shared feelings for her?

No, that was stupid. There was no way he would ever see her as anything more than a tool to use for his own gain.

They could never be together like that, not in a million years.

 _The council met for approximately two hours that afternoon, and after much debate, it was decided that Arctica would be instated as the temporary monarch until further notice. Of course a vast majority of the council were against this action, that is, until Frieza and Cooler dolled out some rather creative threats. The brothers also agreed to keep a look out for anything suspicious across the cosmos, Frieza especially. Someone was out to get him, and it wouldn't be long before they found out who._

 _ **A/N: My heart goes out to the French, it is a truly horrific thing that happened Friday. If any of my readers are from France, I truly hope you're staying safe in these troublesome times.**_

 _ **Anyway, on with the author's note: I deeply apologize for any of those who are Kold fans, but he's in quite the situation right now. Is he dead? I don't know, maybe, all will be told much later on in this story. I also apologize if any thing in this chapter seemed abrupt or rushed, I honestly had no idea how I wanted this scene to go down, and re-wrote it quite a few times. As for everyone's callous behavior, well, none of them really like Kold too much, and are more concerned with finding out who is playing games with them, you know? All business here.**_

 _ **And guess what guys? We only have three more chapters left of time skips!**_  
 _ **It'll go like this,**_  
 _ **2 years, 3 years, and then 4 years. Then after that it'll be time to introduce the actual storyline of DBZ.**_

 _ **Next Chapter: Some much needed Vegeta time, Polarra stops by for a visit.**_


	20. Chapter 19

_Chapter Nineteen_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

 _2 years later_

"Vegeta you have deliberately disobeyed my orders for the last time! Honestly I don't know why I even bother allowing you to live. You're nothing but a waste of energy, and a stain on my empire." Frieza shouted as the Saiyan merely glared defiantly.

"I'm sure you would have ordered me to exterminate that ant eventually, so I decided to take matters into my own hands." Vegeta tried to hide his smirk, but was failing miserably. He knew good and well what he had done, and he didn't care.

"That 'ant' was going to donate quite a bit of money to my organization, but now I'll receive none of it because of his will. Do you understand what you've done?" the tyrant was livid, so angry that he was trembling with the amount of self-control he was executing.

"Tch, it's not like you can't get that same amount of money somewhere else."

They were interrupted when Adalina entered the room, a glare plastered on her face,

"Vegeta how could you? That man hadn't done anything wrong. You had no place." she sternly stated.

"I don't need you crawling up my back as well, woman. I'm sure your precious Lord Frieza was planning on killing him once the transaction was made anyway."

"That doesn't change the fact that you killed an innocent man for mere spite."

"Wouldn't be the first time, and most certainly won't be the last either." he replied in a sinister tone, something he no doubt picked up from the tyrant. For as much as they hated each other, they were chillingly similar at times.

"Leave us." Frieza commanded, eyes burning into the Saiyan boy who had long since grown into a man.

Vegeta scoffed and did so, happy to no longer be in the presence of the one he hated.

Adalina instantly turned her glare to the tyrant,

" 'A stain on my empire', really? Maybe if you weren't so abusive towards him we wouldn't be having this problem." she had always hated the way he treated the Saiyans, handling them with such disgust and disdain.

"I don't need any lip from you either. I will do as I please." he glared at her, angry that she had been listening in on him,"He will either shape up and bend to my will, or I will kill him, it's as simple as that. I allow him to go on missions with you, but perhaps that's where I went wrong. I dare say I granted him too much freedom."

"You'll not lay a finger on him." she challenged, "I told you I would keep the peace, and I will, but if I'm going to do that I need your cooperation as well. He's a fine soldier and you know it. "

Frieza once again found himself captivated by her, bending to her will. He turned away from her, facing the bubble port,

"I'll make an attempt, as a mature and sophisticated person such as myself would. I cannot promise the same results of a monkey, however."

Adalina smiled,

"Good, and you know, he is right, you can get that same amount of money elsewhere."

"That's not the point." he scowled.

She placed a hand on his arm and noted that his muscles seemed to instantly relax under her touch,

"I know. Is Polarra still coming over for a few days?" she changed the subject, seeing that it wouldn't be wise to agitate him any further.

"She should be arriving in a few hours." it was the first time his cousin had been allowed to visit his ship, as Arctica had always deemed it too dangerous before.

"I suppose I'll go work until then, those soldiers in B hall have been acting rather rowdy as of late." she rolled her eyes at the mere thought of dealing with them, "I think I may teach them a thing or two about respect."

"Isn't Vegeta in B hall?" Frieza asked curiously.

"Who do you think is causing me the most problems? He's not just disobeying you. Between him, Raditz, and Nappa telling the other soldiers to ignore my orders, I have my hands full. Honestly I don't know what has gotten into him."

The tyrant had the urge to call her a hypocrite, for she had been chastising him for disciplining the Saiyan, and she was about to go and do the same thing,

"He's the route of all our problems, yet you won't allow me to lay a finger on him. Your logic is idiotic woman." he frowned.

"There's a difference between my idea of discipline and yours, Frieza." she turned around, pausing at the door, "Oh, and I almost forgot to tell you; Zarbon is off planet at the moment, some family matter or another."

She left, leaving the tyrant baffled. What family matter could he possibly have? The only family member he had left was a sister that operated in Cooler's army. He sighed, it wasn't of any concern to him. Though he was a bit agitated that he hadn't told him directly.

Adalina walked with a purpose towards B hall's training room, calling all the soldiers that operated there as she went. Vegeta had recently been distancing himself from her, giving her a cold shoulder and making her life a living hell.

"I expect you all to be lined against the wall before I step across that threshold!" she shouted, causing a few of the soldiers in front of her to take off in a sprint, while others merely scowled at her and continued on their way.

She couldn't believe how influential the Saiyans were, but to be fair, they were some of the strongest soldiers on the ship, and most certainly stronger than most in B hall. The only ones that outranked them were the soldiers in A hall, and of course any and all superiors.

They knew how strong she was, or at least she thought they knew. You didn't just become Frieza's second in command without having enormous power, and yet they defied her constantly.

When she reached the room she was mildly irritated to see that only half of them had followed her orders, the other half were simply milling about, acting like a bunch of idiots,

"Soldiers, attention!" she commanded.

The all immediately did as told, albeit lazily and without any urgency. Vegeta was standing at the center, arms folded across his chest nonchalantly, as if he had better things to do.

"Tell me boys, how many of you in here honestly think you could win against me in a fight? Show of hands, please."

They all looked to Vegeta, smirks on their faces as if he was their trump card,

"He can."

"Yeah, you said you could."

The Saiyan prince was nervous, she could tell that much, after all, she had known him for years. He must have told the other soldiers some bogus story of how he was actually stronger than her, what nonsense,

"Well, Vegeta?"

He seemed to weigh his options before pushing himself off the wall,

"Fine." he grumbled.

The other soldiers cheered and hollered as he made his way to the center of the room, standing tall above her. She tied her hair up,

"You all may want to stand back." she commented, "This could get a bit intense."

They complied, giving the two a wide birth, shooting glances at Vegeta, as if they thought he had a chance.

Vegeta scowled at her as he uncrossed his arms,

"Let's get this over with."

"We don't have to do this, you know, you can back down." though his pride would be hurt either way, she was sure it would be much better to admit defeat rather than actually being beaten.

He didn't reply, choosing instead to throw the first punch.

His fist flew straight for her face at deadly speeds, nearly catching her off guard. She dodged quickly to the left, bringing her arm up to block another hit in one swift motion. He was most certainly strong, maybe even as strong as Dodoria. Though, the plump alien was one of the weaker superiors*. He wouldn't be as strong as he was without her working with him when he was younger, something that served to irritate her. How ungrateful.

She would humor him for a few moments before powering up, and maybe if it looked like a good fight, he wouldn't be harassed by the others when he lost, though he certainly deserved to have his ego taken down a few notches.

Frieza was watching the entire exchange on his HUD, and was grateful that he had decided to install motion-tracking cameras in all the training rooms, for this fight was one he could not miss. He could see that she was nearly as agitated with the Saiyan as he, but she chose to express her frustration in other ways. Perhaps embarrassing him in front of his 'group' would be much better than simply torturing or killing him? Afterall, he valued his pride more than his own life.

Adalina flipped away from Vegeta and landed in a crouch, her lip busted from the elbow she had just taken to the face. He was a skilled fighter, she knew that, and yet she still found herself underestimating him.

She swept his legs from underneath him when he got close, leaping up as he regained his footing. He aimed a kick at her head, leaving himself open as she ducked under the appendage and elbowed him in the ribs.

"I think I'm done with such child's play. Shall we both power up to maximum? Or are you already there?" she knew it was wrong of her to be so condescending towards him, but dammit it was wrong of him to try and stage a coupe against her! She practically raised him, after all.

He glared at her, only confirming her suspicions, he had powered up earlier, and he must have put all his chips in. She took a step back, her blue aura flaring to life as she raised her power level to its maximum. She avoided any yelling or fanfare, no matter the strain it put on her as she found it left something to the imagination.

One of the soldier's scouters exploded, and the another one right after that. The others fumbled to turn their devices off before they too followed the same fate, knowing that Frieza wouldn't be happy if he had to replace so many.

Vegeta had witnessed the Zandonian at full power only a hand full of times, as she had never had anyone formidable enough to use it against. He knew good and well she was leagues above him, and yet he wasn't prepared to back down.

Adalina's eyes were glowing a bright crimson color, sending a shiver down every bystander's spine. It was an eerie sight, seeing the kind woman look like a thing of nightmares. They underestimated her quite often, and didn't take her as seriously as she should.

With one quick movement she dashed forward and kicked the Saiyan into a wall, incapacitating him. Needless to say, he would be sore for the next few days,

"I am done playing nice with you _boys_. Is this enough for you to start listening to me or do I have to beat some sense into everyone of you?"

They were all wide eyed, save for Nappa and Raditz who were glaring,

"Yes Sir!" the room reverberated with the shaking voices of the soldiers who knew they were way out-classed.

"Good." she smiled, "Now get back to your stations."

She powered down as they all filed out, save for the fallen Vegeta, who was sitting against the wall with a deadly glare gracing his features,

"That was a cheap shot." he growled bitterly.

Adalina offered him a hand, which he then ignored, pushing himself to his feet on his own,

"I'm sorry. But what did I do to upset you so much?" she asked sincerely, her face falling.

Vegeta opened his mouth to speak but quickly closed it, as if he were trying to decide his best course of action. He was a Saiyan, and was never good at putting things nicely, or politely,

"It's because you cater to that bastard's every whim. You happily do as he says no matter what it may be. You were once someone I looked up to, because you had the nerve to defy him, but now you're nothing more than another one of his _toys_. I don't care if it's because you're trying to better him or the universe, the point I'm trying to make is that while you may be physically strong, you're quite lacking in the mental department. You're weak because you submit." he ranted, his pent up anger finally boiling over.

Adalina was at a loss for words. She couldn't believe that's how he chose to view the situation. She wasn't submitting to Frieza's will, no, if anything she was bending it in her favor. The Saiyan had quite a few reasons to hate the tyrant, but his reasons for disliking her were down-right absurd. She failed to see what she was doing that was so wrong.

Frieza was still watching the exchange, smirking at Vegeta's words. If he knew that such a strong warrior was submitting and doing quite well for herself, then why did he continue to defy him? Though to be fair, the woman wasn't submitting, she was merely making her life easier.

"I fail to see how that is a valid excuse. I play nice because it's the easiest thing to do. Do you know how hard my life would be if I constantly defied him? Believe me, I tried to in the beginning, but that only got me smacked around and berated. Forgive me for wanting to work my way up the ranks and improve the over-all situation of the universe. It's called self-preservation, Vegeta, something you seem to lack." she took a deep breath, "I still love you kid, but make sure your anger is directed at the right people from now on." she turned and left without another word, leaving the man speechless.

Adalina returned to the throne room where the tyrant was giving her an odd smirk,

"Our ideas of discipline are different?" he questioned mockingly.

"Oh come on, it's not like I beat him half to death, something you would have done." she replied quickly.

"Oh, the contrary, beating him half to death gives him a power boost, I'm not that kind."

Seeing she wasn't going to win the verbal battle, she changed the subject,

"Where's Polarra at?"

Frieza clicked his HUD a few times and brought up a map with a small dot rapidly speeding across it,

"She's close, another hour or so." he replied in a bored tone, "I assume you're going to keep an eye on her?"

Adalina nodded with a smile,

"But of course. I adore children."

The tyrant seemed to cringe at that word. _Children_ , what invasive, annoying creatures. He couldn't fathom why anyone would like them. The only one he could tolerate was Polarra, but that is do to her increased maturity(or so he tells himself),

"I fail to see how you could enjoy such whiny imbeciles, but to each their own I suppose."

She could tell that he genuinely cared for his younger cousin, though he may not show it often. The little girl was just too cute, and sweet to not like. She was becoming quite powerful too, apparently she had a knack for fighting that no one predicted. She could only assume that it came from her father's side, since her mother seemed more verbally persuasive,

"If I may ask, where is her father?" she asked suddenly, catching Frieza off guard.

He fumbled for a response, trying to find the best way to word what he was about to say. It wasn't something he had to explain, ever, so of course a literate response was difficult to come by,

"I'll put it this way." he began bluntly, "Polarra was conceived...rather forcibly. The man responsible was thrown into prison until Arctica was healthy enough to deal with him herself. He is no longer alive."

Adalina's eyes widened a fraction when she heard the story. Who knew such a thing happened in other cultures and species as well?

"I'm assuming Polarra doesn't know?"

He gave her a stern look,

"Yes, and it's going to stay that way, understood?"

She nodded,

"Understood. I'm going to go eat lunch, do you want anything?"

The tyrant waved her off and she shrugged, turning back towards the door.

He watched her go, noting that the sway of her hips was nearly hypnotic, and something to avoid. He hated how she made him feel, he was a tyrant, the ruler of the universe. He had no time for petty fancies.

Though, his life had been far less stressful without his father around. He was able to make any political decisions he wanted, and didn't have to cower every time he stopped by for a visit. Kold had raised him to be an unmovable force, a cold-hearted ruler, capable of destroying planets with nary a thought.

But, without him, he felt as if he didn't have to live up to that expectation anymore. Of course, nothing could change his arrogant demeanor, that was a natural occurrence, and he still enjoyed watching lower creatures tremble at his feet. But that was just the way he was, and there was no changing that, only controlling it. Something that blasted woman was quite skilled at.

She irritated him to no end, but at the same time, she was capable of putting him in a good mood. He had thought of many ways to get rid of her, but every time he found that he was incapable of going through with his plan. An existence without her seemed dull.

He had been trying to push her away, giving her cold, calculated, _professional_ responses, but she still gave him that nauseating warm smile. She's determined to keep him on a 'righteous' path, and it would seem it's working, for the most part.

Perhaps it would be in his best interest to tell her how he felt? It might make things easier.

No, that's absurd. He destroyed her race and practically enslaved her. Hell, he's only said her name once in the time that they've known each other. She hates him, certainly. She merely feigns compassion to perpetuate her own agenda.

Frieza found himself becoming angry and decided to stop his own musings, typing a few things on his HUD. The small dot had gotten much closer.

Polarra would be arriving soon.

* * *

The young girl arrived safely, having piloted a ship all by herself. Granted it was a relatively simple spacefraft, and she had a little help from her pre-planned course.

"I can't believe your mother let you pilot a ship by yourself, I at least thought she would be responsible enough to send a guard with you." Frieza mumbled as the young girl smooth the wrinkles from her dress.

"I'm not stupid, Frieza." she replied, putting her hands on her hips, "All the other kids my age know how to fly a ship, so why shouldn't I?"

"Yes, of course, they let children fly ships these days, how absurd." he refrained from rolling his eyes as he saw his second come into view, "Ah, yes, you'll be staying with her for the day."

Polarra's face lit up as she caught sight of the woman. She absolutely adored the Zandonian, and was ecstatic that they would get to spend the day together, and no doubt she'd be around for the four days she was visiting.

Adalina smiled as the child jumped up and hugged her tightly. She looked the same as the last time she had seen her, and it came as no surprise to the Zandonian.

Apparently her assumption had been wrong, Polarra looked about seven, but in reality was near seventy. Arcosian children aged just a slow as they did when full grown. The only reason her own species had evolved to grow into an adult within eighteen years was so that they would be in less danger. Her planet was once teeming with predators that would have loved to sink their teeth into a tiny Zandonian, so the less time they spent being tiny, the better.

Arcosians also seemed to have a natural born power, their children being strong enough to take on the most skilled warriors at a young age. Zandonian children weren't as lucky, they were weak and frail, and she was no exception. But, for the most part, their species still aged very similarly.

"How about we go get some ice cream?" she asked, still carrying the child on her hip.

Frieza was about to protest, as Arctica had stated that the young girl was not to have any sweets before dinner, but a stern look from Adalina stopped him.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that." he smirked, "Try not to get into trouble, and do not bother me for the next hour, I have a lot of work to catch up on." and with that he turned and left, hands clasped behind his back.

The two girls made their way to the mess hall, all of the soldiers avoiding them like the plague. They knew good and well who the small child was, and they weren't about to do anything to displease her, for it would surely anger Frieza.

The mess hall was pretty much empty, as it wasn't time for dinner yet, but of course there were those few who showed up early every day. She scanned the hall and spotted a familiar face,

"Zarbon, when did you get back?" she questioned, stopping in front of the teal-skinned man. Polarra wiggled her way to the floor and beamed up at him.

"Not long ago." he replied in his cultured tone,"When did you get here?" he turned his attention towards Polarra.

"Just a few minutes ago. Has your hair gotten longer, Zar?" she questioned sweetly.

"Probably, I don't really keep track of it." he pat the young girl on the head, "Make sure you keep Adalina out of trouble, okay?"

She bobbed her head happily as Zarbon walked away, most likely to tell Frieza where he had been.

Adalina grabbed the girl's hand and led her into the kitchens, searching for the freezer that contained the sweet desert. She pulled out a metal container of blue ice-cream, made from Picao fruit, found on planet Yethis. It was the girl's favorite.

She happily ate a small bowl, as Adalina still wanted her to eat real food. Her deep blue lips became smeared with the lighter blue ice cream, creating the picture of a perfectly happy child.

It was an oddly warming sense of normality within the chaos of her life, and she found herself smiling despite herself.

 _ **A/N: * Dodoria is pretty strong, yes, but he was kicked into a cliff facing by an angry Gohan. While Gohan is technically one of the strongest characters, I still think that Dodoria is only a little stronger than the underlings. Vegeta isn't stronger than him, rather,nearly as strong. There's still something to be gathered there. Of course Vegeta's mild increase in strength from the canon will have a minute effect on his fight on Earth.**_

 _ **I have also changed my mind about how many chapters are left.**_

 _ **There will be a three year time skip, then another three year time skip, and the a one year time skip as I have to set-up Vegeta and Nappa's departure, because we're getting very close to the actual time-line of DBZ.**_

 _ **I apologize if Vegeta is out of character, I have a rough time writing for him, I should probably study his character a bit more.  
Oh, and I recently had someone ask what HUD stands for, and I'm pretty sure it stands for 'Holographic Universal Display" I'm not sure where I heard it from though.**_

 _ **I also updated Arctica and Polarra's designs, if anyone would like to see them. My deviantart ID is KuroKagamiImeji**_

 _ **Next chapter: A new recruit, travelling through a cold quadraint, another piece (the last for a while) is discovered.**_


	21. Chapter 20

_Chapter Twenty_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

 _3 years later_

 _Adalina managed to rekindle her relationship with Vegeta, even if he was still bitter and cold towards her, he wasn't hostile. He once again humored her odd musings, and went on missions with her. But he was a grown man, and he had missions of his own to attend to. Frieza would never admit it, but he was at least a little proud of having the Saiyan on his side, though, the tyrant had much bigger things to worry about at the moment..._

She was going to be livid. Was that the word he was looking for? Melancholic fit much better. He was pacing, something he didn't do often. And for what? Because he was dreading what he had to tell the woman? He hated the effect she had on him, but he didn't want her to be upset.

"Come here, I need to speak with you." he had called over her scouter mere moments before.

He wasn't sure how he was going to break such news to her.

The door hissed open, and it some how made him anxious.

Why did he have to develop feelings for her?

"What was it you needed?" she smiled at him, that damned smile that was soon to be wiped clean off her face, and it was going to be his fault.

He tried to tell himself that he wouldn't mind the expression, that it would bring him joy to know that he was the cause of her despair. But that's not how it worked anymore. He wanted to be the reason for her laughing and smiling.

How sickening.

"Another piece of the staff has been located." he began.

Adalina sighed,

"And what crazy thing do I have to do to retrieve it this time?" she questioned in a bored tone, as the last two pieces had given them trouble.

"Nothing. It's out in the open, no one else has gotten to it yet. It's the location that might be disconcerting."

She tilted her head in confusion, signalling for him to explain.

He settled for bringing up a map on his HUD and pointing to the high-lighted planet.

Her chest tightened when she read the familiar, and yet distant words. Something she thought she would never see again.

'Zandonia' was spelled out next to the familiar planet, and they weren't far off from it either.

"Oh." was all she had in response, her face falling a bit.

"You do not have to accompany me." he would have appreciated it, however. It was always advantageous to have a native on hand.

Adalina shook herself out of her stupor. She had no reason to be upset with him, it wasn't like he had chosen the location on purpose,

"No no, it's fine, I'll go." her voice came out a bit reluctant, leading Frieza to believe that it _wasn't_ fine. He didn't want her to do something that might cause her distress, for it could make his life difficult.

"If it's going to bother you, I would much rather you stay on the ship." he frowned, crossing his arms in front of him.

"I said it's fine. I haven't been back there in twenty years, it'll be a welcome change."

He sighed,

"If that's what you wish, we'll be docking shortly." he wasn't going to stop her, even if he knew that the trip was going to put her in a foul mood. She pretended that she had forgiven him, but he knew it wasn't true. She still held bitter resentment towards him for what he had done, and visiting her home planet was only going to cause these feelings to resurface much stronger.

"I'll go put more suitable clothing on. You might not want to wear too much armor either, it gets hot there this time of the year." she said distantly.

Adalina exited the throne room and walked to their shared quarters, a trip she had made hundreds of times. She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about visiting her home planet after all those years. Surely it would cause a few unpleasant feelings to resurface. The planet was most certainly an empty shell of its former self, and she had no one to blame but Frieza.

But she didn't want to be mad at him for it.

She had told herself so many times that his tyrannical nature was due to his father's influence, that his actions weren't entirely his own. Sometimes she found that hard to believe though, sometimes she felt as if he would be the same person no matter what. But he had changed, he had shown her that he was capable of feeling guilt and regret, and his insistence that she not go only proved her point. He didn't want her to be upset.

"Good afternoon Commander Adalina!" a familiar voice called as she passed by them.

She stopped to smile at their newest recruit, a girl she had personally taken under her wing to train,

"Good evening, Synder, are you getting along with the other soldiers?" she asked.

The girl was a few inches taller than her, with tanned cream colored skin. Her eyes were a piercing black and her wavy hair resembled the fire that she controlled, fading from red, to orange, to yellow. She hailed from the planet Ignis and was a surprisingly skilled fighter.

"For the most part. They think I'm not a worthy opponent because I'm a woman. I showed them." she was cocky, and had quite the ego. But that was part of her appeal. She had even dared to challenge Frieza himself (a situation she'd had to quickly diffuse.)

"Keep up that attitude, it'll serve you well. I'll be off now, we're docking soon." she waved and continued on her way, oblivious to the devious smirk she was receiving.

Synder couldn't be more happy that all of the pieces were finally falling into place. She need only bide her time and wait for orders.

* * *

It was just as she had remembered it. Luscious golden grass topped by a soft pink sky. Tropical plants and animals dotting the landscape beautifully. Apparently Frieza had yet to colonize or sell the planet, his reasons why were unknown but she had a suspicion that it was to keep her complacent.

Perhaps the remainder of her people could return one day?

"It's this way." Frieza interrupted her musings, flying towards the direction his scouter was indicating. He hadn't taken her advice and was still wearing his every-day armor. Though, to be fair, he didn't wear much of it to begin with.

She was in a crimson red tank top and matching pair of shorts, choosing to leave her armor on the ship. The white garment had always made her extremely hot on her home-planet. The downfall of having metal armor.

Frieza had told her she looked rather indecent, and she had responded with anger, saying that she would wear whatever she wished. He didn't mind it too much though, as the outfit showed her curvy body off quite well.

He mentally shook his head, what was he thinking? He still hadn't come to terms with his feelings for the woman, so having such inane thoughts was out of the question. He had to keep his head clear if he was ever to be rid of such fancies.

"That's where I spent my vacations every year." she said happily as she pointed to a large blue lake. The water was a crystal clear teal color and absolutely breath-taking, "I definitely know where we're at."

The tyrant was glad that she was handling the situation well, as a soldier would be expected to. She seemed more nostalgic than anything, and over-joyed that he hadn't touched the planet.

They closed in on their location and the woman once again found herself being sucked through time. They had stopped at a familiar cave, one she knew all too well,

"By the look on your face, I'm assuming you know where we're at?" the tyrant questioned in a bored tone.

Adalina nodded her head slowly, a smile on her face,

"Part of my training when I was younger was to brave this cave alone, with nothing but a dagger and my wits. Of course I also had energy blasts and the like, but that wasn't enough for some of the creatures that dwell within." she said ominously, "But I'm sure we can handle them just fine!" she smiled brightly as they descended.

The entrance to the largre cave was dark and foreboding, but Adalina paid it no mind, waltzing right in with Frieza on her tail. The both of them had no trouble navigating in the dark cavern, even though it wasn't dark for very long.

The walls were alive with glowing creatures of all shapes and sizes, and Adalina was more than happy to tell him all about it,

"I would advise against touching that, " she pointed to a rather decorative looking fungi, "it's poisonous and I'm not sure if it would effect you or not. Ooh, and these little guys are the nicest little things ever." she scooped up a glowing lizard-like creature for him to examine. It was bright pink and had a little smile on its face.

Frieza would never admit it, but he was quite fascinated by the world his second called home. Never had he seen creatures that glowed so brightly, and never had he seen the woman so enthusiastic, so happy.

It was certainly a welcome change.

The small creature Adalina was holding jumped onto his shoulder and he resisted the urge to obliterate it, simply lifting it by its tail and placing it back onto the wall they were walking along.

"We're getting close." he commented as his scouter beeped.

Adalina knew what awaited them, but somehow, she hoped it wouldn't be there. It had terrified her when she was younger, and it had been her final test.

"There will be a creature ahead of us. Do not kill it, I'll deal with it." she commented slowly, "Killing it will only make our lives harder."

"Don't give me orders." he replied gruffly. Though, to be fair, it was _her_ planet, she would know what's best over him.

"I'm not ordering, I'm warning. You don't want to mess with it. I know how strong you are, yes, but it's not about strength."

Her words left him curious. What could possibly lie ahead? She was speaking in riddles it seemed, and he wasn't too fond of it, after all, he wasn't very patient.

He was just about to respond when she turned around and placed a finger to her lips, a signal to be quiet. The tyrant peered around her and saw the creature which she spoke of. It was uniquely patterned, as its body was entirely black with glowing stripes and circles expertly dotted about its fur.

It resembled a large cat as it lay slumbering, it's curled form still large and imposing. The animal was easily much larger than the two of them put together.

"Well I'll be dammed, it's the same one." Adalina mumbled under her breath as she caught sight of the scar decorated its back, "The is what's called an Elfen. It's capable of creating strong illusions to enchant, and entrap its prey."

"I've told you many times that my species possess strong telepathic capabilities. Illusions fall under that category, do they not?" he wasn't afraid of the animal, nor would he bend to its will.

"My mother was a strong telepath as well, but even she got caught under its spell. It's certainly something else. Not to mention that injuring it only causes more to come to its aid. I made that mistake." she whispered, "The best way to deal with it is to paralyze it."

"And how do you suggest we do that?"

Adalina smiled widely, revealing her small fangs,

"I'm venomous, in case you haven't noticed. Though this particular toxin seems to only effect creatures from my home planet." she shrugged, "I don't have much use for it."

Frieza vaguely recalled thinking that she was venomous when they had first met, as her bright coloring seemed to be a warning. Though usually it meant one was _poisonous_ , he supposed it could go both ways.

"You're going to bite it?" he questioned in disbelief, a mild undertone of disgust present in his voice.

"Of course. It wouldn't be the first time either. I had quite the tussle with this one before I realized what I had to do."

Frieza stood back, still wide-eyed as his second in command inched forward towards the creature, poised and ready to strike. He never thought that this trip would reveal so much about the young woman.

She pounced and he made sure that he would be ready to pull her out of the animals jaws, should her plan fail. Even if the animal was injured and more came, he was certain that they would be capable of outrunning the creatures.

The animal awoke with a start as it felt a heavy weight land on its back. It roared loudly and stood on its hind legs in a vein attempt to buck the woman off. She smiled, this was so much easier than when she was younger.

"Calm down kitty!" she laughed slightly, finding the experience entertaining.

She bit down comically on the Elfen's shoulder, eliciting a small growl from the creature.

Frieza was absolutely stunned at her display of such childish behavior. He wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh along with her or tell her how idiotic she looked.

The animal slowled its thrashing and fell to the ground, paralyzed,

"Is that permanent?" Frieza questioned

"No. It'll last about ten or so minutes for an animal of this size." she climbed off of the Elfen and immediately turned towards the small room they had been headed towards, "I'm assuming it's up ahead. There's an exit as well, but we have to hurry."

Frieza loathed being ordered around by the Zandonian woman, and it showed in the scowl that adorned his face,

"You would do well to remember your place." he said slowly as they quickly phased into the room ahead of them.

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. And here she thought they were having a rather fun outing,

"I'm not ordering, I'm suggesting." she smirked, "I could _start_ making orders. You seem like you're into that kind of thing."

"Stop talking." he snapped, "You're making me sick."

"I'm only teasing. Lighten up, have a bit of fun why don't you?"

Now that, certainly, wasn't like her. Something wasn't right with her, perhaps she was coping with something? Trying to hard to cover her disdain? He wouldn't ask though, merely observe.

They reached their destination in record time, the bauble sitting precariously atop a narrow rock formation. Adalina stared at the small galaxy colored marble,

"I'm sure this wasn't here before." she mumbled as she reached a steady hand towards it, snatching it up as if something might happen to it.

The walls began crumbling as the small room around them seemed to disintegrate,

"We're leaving." Frieza commanded, taking charge once more.

"Exit's this way." she shouted over the roar of debris.

She took to the air, flying towards the bright hole at the top of the cave. They had to hurry before the entrance was closed off,

"As if the sunlight shining through the giant hole in the ceiling couldn't have told me." he replied in a snarky tone as he followed her.

They flew into the powder pink skyline of Zandonia, exiting the cave as it crumbled beneath them. Adalina looked down to see that the Elfin had recovered and had made it out of the forsaken cavern. It was growling at the two furiously,

"That was a lot shorter than ten minutes." she shrugged, "Oh well, we still got what we came for."

"And you berate me for my misjudgments of time." Frieza smirked.

She was about to reply when she noticed something she was sure they had not passed by earlier. They had been merely flying without a true course, not paying attention to where they were going.

Below them lay a charred and overgrown city. The circular buildings toppled and useless. It was a haunting scene, only furthered by the subtle clouds that had rolled in, casting a shadow over the landscape.

Frieza examined the girl's face as it fell, her eyes losing the light they had had earlier. She stopped mid-air and gazed upon the sight,

"I wasn't aware. I mean, I knew, but I never actually got to see..." she mumbled. Her eyes were misty with held back emotion. So this trip _had_ affected her negatively.

"Let's keep moving." the tyrant stated calmly, "There's nothing to see here. What's done is done."

Her heart clenched as she was reminded of her fallen comrades, her friends that had perished on that day. And who was to blame? The man she was working for, the man she had come to have feelings for.

She felt sickened by her own behavior when it was put in front of her like that,

"Yeah." she replied distantly, picking up speed once more.

She wouldn't be mad at him. She had gotten past that, and so had he.

They would be alright. They would be just fine.

Frieza wanted to do something to make her smile again but found that he was at a loss for words. He didn't know how one went about such things. Maybe it was better to let her cope on her own?

He found that beings were much better off working through their problems without any outside interference.

* * *

"Synder, are you enjoying your new occupation?" a smooth female voice asked within the Ignision's head. It wasn't anything new, it happened all the time.

"Very." she answered out-loud as she was alone in her room, " I'm finding it quite enlightening. I'm learning that imbecile's fighting patterns and she doesn't even know it."

"It may take you a few years to gather enough support for a coup, but with your mental prowess, I'm sure it will be no problem." the woman replied in a silky tone.

"It will be no problem at all, in fact, it sounds like a lot of fun." the fiery haired girl grinned maniacally.

Things were about to get very real.

 _ **A/N: Sorry if this is a little rushed, vague, and/or weird. This entire chapter got deleted and I had to re-write all of it over the course of two days. It was a little stressful, but I'm glad it got done. I'm also debating on uploading a small one-shot as I didn't get everything I wanted into this chapter( traveling through a cold quadrant). Would you guys enjoy that? It would be purely fluff.**_

 _ **Please excuse any errors in this one, I haven't had time to proof read it.**_

 _ **Anywho, next chapter will have a rather large fight scene, and will be the conclusion to this 'Galaxy Staff' arc.**_

 _ **Oh, and I would also like to tell you that a picture of Synder is up on my deviantart, my username is Kurokagamiimeji.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading guys!**_


	22. Chapter 21

_Chapter Twenty One_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

 _3 years later_

"Has Raditz made it to Earth yet?" Adalina questioned the Saiyan warrior as they sat in the infirmary. Vegeta had had a nasty run in with a brute on his last mission and was receiving stitches for the large gash on his chest. His armor had been cut clean through.

"As far as I'm aware, no. He still has a month or so left until he lands." he replied gruffly, wincing as Bereat pulled the last stitch tight.

"Do you actually think Kakarot will agree to come back with him? I mean, even though they're brothers...it's _Raditz_. Frieza explicitly told him not to terrorize the natives but he still might."

"Might? He _will._ " Vegeta smirked, "Not much that can be done about it."

The young woman sighed, of course. She should have sent someone with a shred of intelligence along with him. But if he did anything too drastic he would have Frieza to answer to, so maybe that was incentive enough.

"Who knows, maybe there are some formidable warriors on Earth? Perhaps they could teach him a lesson."

Vegeta released a short laugh as he slid his new under armor on.

"Formidable warriors? On Earth? They're some of the weakest life-forms in the universe. Too placid and soft to produce any real threats."

Adalina handed him his new breast plate, which he slipped on.

"Kakarot's a Saiyan, right? He might be strong enough." it made sense.

"He's a piece of third class scum, just like his brother. He was sent to Earth as a baby because of his ridiculously low fighting power, it's probably why he wasn't able to clear the damn planet. He's a weakling."

She sighed, dreading the violence that was sure to come from this little adventure.

The two exited the infirmary, Adalina observing him to make sure he would be fine. He was set to go on another mission later in the day, even though she had told him not to. He was stubborn and always would be.

"Commander Adalina, are we still training later?" Synder caught her as she walked down the hallway, Vegeta in tow. The Saiyan glared at her- he wasn't fond of the woman for some reason or another.

"Of course." the Zandonian smiled, "You're advancing well."

"I've noticed." she replied, her voice full of confidence, "I'll see you then." she waved and continued on her way.

"I'm telling you, there's something off about her." Vegeta gruffly stated after they were out of earshot.

"I mean, she's really really cocky. But other than that, I don't see anything out of the ordinary." Adalina shrugged. She didn't seem too terribly suspicious or anything.

"She's up to something, I can tell." his arms were crossed, "When she finally goes through with whatever plan she's concocted, I'll be right here to say 'I told you so'."

"I don't think it's going to go down like that, but you can dream." she began walking away after he had stopped at his quarters, "Try not to strain yourself too much."

He didn't reply as he entered his room, a narrow look still on his face. She sighed and shook her head. What would she do about him?

Adalina walked along the corridor, headed to the throne room. She enjoyed the tyrant's company too much for comfort, but she couldn't bring herself to become distant from him. It made no sense to her at all, but love was a mysterious thing. Well- she wouldn't quite call it love, but it was something. She certainly cared for him.

The door hissed open and Frieza instantly turned towards her, a finger to his lips. She slowed to a crawl and tip-toed over to him, cocking a brow. What could he be trying to hear?

He beckoned her closer to him and pointed in the direction of the ceiling. She listened intently, and sure enough she heard something quite odd. It was like a rushing noise, coupled with scuttling. It was very faint but audible to those with advanced hearing.

"It sounds like there's something in the vents." she whispered.

"That's what I thought, but as soon as I removed the grate, it stopped." he replied, annoyance clear in his voice.

Adalina looked up at the grate and slowly levitated towards it. She gripped the sides of the hefty metal obstruction and pulled it free in one swift motion, hoping to catch whatever it was in action.

The sounds immediately stopped as she glanced around the tight space. She wasn't about to give up though- something wasn't right. She pulled herself into the cramped area, having every intention to crawl along the dark corridors.

"What are you doing?" he asked as if she were an idiot.

"You can't fit because of your horns, so I'm going to go investigate." she offered as if it were the most logical thing to do.

"You don't even know what's in there, what if it's something you can't handle?" he sounded worried, almost.

"Aww are you worried about me? I'll be fine." her voice echoed as she crawled deeper into the space.

Something was certainly amiss within the area but she couldn't quite put her finger on it,

"I merely do not wish for you to break anything. Do you know how much it would cost me to replace this duct system?" he retorted, his tone the usual one of loathing.

The Zandonian rolled her eyes, finding his reasons absurd,

"I won't break-" she was cut off mid-sentence as she saw a shadow move out of the corner of her eye. Odd. She watched intently, holding completely still. She screamed as a large rodent came barreling towards her, its six eyes fierce with anger.

She back-peddled quickly, falling out of the grate and onto her bottom, much to the surprise of Frieza. She shot a small ki blast at the animal as it jumped from the vent after her, disintegrating it.

"Ah yes, the mighty Zandonian warrior, felled by a mere rodent. How proud you must be." the tyrant snidely commented.

"At least I found what it was." though she wasn't sure, something still felt off. Perhaps it was nothing?

"I suppose I should be grateful, that dammed rodent would have no doubt irritated me all day." he clasped his hands behind his back, a smirk on his face, "Seems you're useful for something after all."

Adalina placed her hands on her hips, a look of indignation crossing her face,

"I do quite a bit around here, thank you very much. Mentioning that, I have a training session scheduled with Synder right about now." she sighed, "I'll be off then."

"Watch out for yourself. That girl...she's suspicious." he would have already thrown the damn woman off ship, had his second not taken such a liking to her.

"Looks like you and Vegeta have finally agreed on something." she replied dryly, "I haven't found anything wrong with her yet, but if she acts out of the ordinary I'll be sure to tell you."

She waved and left, making her way to the training area. It seemed as if everyone was suspicious of the young woman, but she truly couldn't find anything out of the norm. Perhaps she was acting behind her back? Doing things that the others caught, but not her? Maybe it would be beneficial to question her about it.

Frieza had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, he shouldn't have let her go. She was still naive in a sense, and tried to see the good in everyone. But he wouldn't be fooled, Synder was up to something, the subtle smirks and menacing glares that she tossed around when she thought no one was looking were proof enough.

Adalina entered the training room, and instantly felt as if something were off. The door hissed closed behind her as she cautiously took a step forward,

"Synder?" she called out. The air seemed stale and it made her anxious.

Frieza flipped on his HUD and pulled up the video feed for the training room she was in, finding her stock still, her hands in front of her as if waiting for an attack. He looked around the room and could find no one else but her.

Both of their scouters simultaneously began beeping rapidly, detecting a massive power level. He clicked his off, but Adalina's exploded in a flash of sparks, causing her to jump. She glared at the center of the room where a mass of roiling shadows had gathered.

"Oh crap." she mumbled. She had been played, and the boys had been right.

Synder emerged from the inky substance, draped in flames and a menacing smile stretched across her face. Something was different about her though, she seemed a lot stronger, and a lot more like those others they had faced, no doubt she was a rat in leagues with them.

She had no time to react as she felt a cold prick in the side of her neck. It had moved too fast for her to even register what had happened, but Frieza had seen the whole ordeal, and had immediately left the throne room. She had been stabbed with a syringe filled with who-knew-what and he only had mere moments to react.

"Good night, commander." she said sadistically, "When you wake up, this empire will be nothing but a pile of rubble."

Adalina felt her eye-lids grow heavy, and her mind fog as her knees buckled.

* * *

How they had landed in such a mess was beyond him. He had always tried to keep everything in order, keep people in fear of him, too scared to try anything drastic. But now, he had allowed a _rat_ to infiltrate his ranks and brain wash half of his soldiers, which were killing each other in droves. It was utter chaos, and all because he hadn't wanted to hurt his second's 'feelings'; what nonsense.

He looked towards her as she lay curled up in his hover-pod, oblivious to the dire situation they were in,

"She should be up in a matter of minutes." Murdock said gruffly, "With her physiology a tranquilizer as such just isn't strong enough. Seems these attackers didn't think that through."

"They thought it through alright, they just needed a distraction and enough time to herd us into a single spot and trap us." Frieza scoffed as he looked towards Zarbon, Vegeta, and Nappa. Some of the strongest fighters on the ship and not one of them could do a damn thing.

It all happened in such rapid succession that he couldn't process what had happened until it was too late. He had gotten Adalina and had watched as Synder disappeared into a mass of expanding shadows, and he felt it would not be wise to get caught up in the eerie mess. So he ran, calling Murdock into the throne room as he went.

To his surprise, the two Saiyans and Zarbon had already been in the room when he and the doctor had arrived. Apparently, Synder had relayed orders for the trio to meet in the throne room. He wasn't sure how she planned it so precisely, but was certain someone else was pulling the strings.

They were trapped by the same roiling shadows that had been the cause of his disdain for years. One step out of the door, and they would be devoured. He had already tried to dispell the damn things, but they were resilient. He couldn't fire any large blast and risk damaging the ship either.

"I told her that damn woman was up to something." Vegeta grumbled with his arms crossed.

"As did I, but she always has to find the good nature in every one. It's her weakness." Frieza replied, his voice was strained with barely contained rage. He couldn't stand idly by while his ship was ransacked. They were no doubt after his Galaxy Staff.

A small groan interrupted their musings,

"How long have I been out?" Adalina questioned as she sat up, rubbing her head.

"Not long, ten or so minutes at the maximum." Frieza answered, turning towards her, "We're trapped."

She hopped out of the hover-pod, a look of confusion passing her face,

"How?" nothing was strong enough to keep Frieza at bay, or that's what she thought.

"Shadows." Vegeta answered gruffly, "One step out of this room and you'll be eaten alive."

She put a finger to her chin, deep in thought,

"There's got to be a way to fight them off, it's not like they're invincible." she stifled a yawn, still drowsy.

"Firing blasts at them does nothing." Nappa's gruff voice broke in, his tone condescending.

She was trying to think quickly, so as to find a solution as soon as possible. It sounded like a war-zone outside the doors, and they had probably taken the Galaxy Staff.

"Can we turn the brightness up on the lights?" she questioned. It was a stupid idea, but certainly worth a try.

"The systems can be overrided, but the lights are more than likely going to blow." Zarbon answered, "What are you planning?"

"Well, maybe these shadows can't exist if there aren't any shadows? If the lights are too bright, then everything gets washed out, and there are no shadows." she surmised, it made sense to her at least.

Frieza scoffed,

"I doubt these _things_ would be felled by something so simple." he was standing before her at this point.

"Do you have a better idea?" Adalina had her hands on her hips, a signature pose for her.

He sighed, relenting,

"Zarbon."

"Yes sir!" the teal-skinned alien answered, rushing over to the control panel located at the head of the throne room, "It's likely you'll have mere moments to get out of the room, and even the, those shadows could crop up at any time."

"See what we can get accomplished when I'm included in plan making?" Adalina smiled.

"You were unconscious, forgive us for not including you sooner." Vegeta sarcastically replied.

"I'm going to override the system, be prepared to run if this works." Zarbon called out.

"I'll just keep my old ass in here." Murdock gruffly stated.

Frieza opened the door, the roiling shadows lapping into the room from their position in the hall. A buzzing noise was heard as the lights became unbearably bright, causing everyone but the tyrant to shield their eyes.

He watched as the shadows seemed to disintegrate before his eyes- he couldn't believe her plan had worked! And she had thrown it together so quickly, not even taking a few moments to steady herself after waking up. He knew there was a reason he kept her around.

"We need to move!" he shouted to the others.

They all broke out of their stupor and ran into the hallway, still shielding their eyes as best they could. One by one the lights began to shatter, but the shadows didn't resurface.

"Oh Frieza dear, if you want to play, we'll play. It would be beneficial to be rid of you anyway." a sultry voice seemed to call from every where as the last of the lights vanished, leaving them in the dark.

"Who-" Adalina was cut off as the ship was immersed in a darkness so deep that even her nocturnal eyes could not penetrate it. She felt the air around her shift and knew that they were being separated.

The emergency lights flickered to life as she found herself in the middle of a large fight that was occurring in the mess hall. Blood was smeared across every surface and pooled on the ground. Bodies were beginning to pile as the soldiers killed one another. She wasn't sure what was going on until she spotted Nappa as he threw a soldier to the ground.

"Synder managed to gather enough support for a coupe. I can handle this, but you need to find the others. I have no idea where they were dragged off to." he shouted over the roar of battle, his pride disappearing as he came to terms with the direness of the situation.

"I don't think so, you and I still have a training session to finish." she heard a familiar voice call out.

Adalina looked to see Synder floating in the center of the room, engulfed in flames. Her scouter had exploded, so she had no way of telling the girl's power level, but something told her that it wasn't to be taken lightly.

"How are you so powerful now?" the Zandonian questioned, flying up to meet her.

"Simple, my boss gave me a little power boost...at the cost of my mortality of course. Something about souls and damnation, all things I know nothing about." she answered nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders, "I was tasked with eliminating you whilst Daemon and Baph deal with your other little friends."

"And Frieza?" she questioned, masking her worry. Vegeta was strong, and so was Zarbon, but she feared that they weren't strong enough to deal with the two who had taken down King Kold. She had to deal with the situation quickly, and then go save them.

"The boss lady herself decided to come deal with him." she smirked. That was the voice they had heard, no doubt.

A sickening feeling settled in her stomach, something was wrong, very very wrong.

* * *

Vegeta coughed up a small amount of blood as he was thrown against the wall of the training room he had been trapped in.

"Come on, don't tucker out on me yet." Baphomet smirked as he walked towards the fallen Saiyan.

He stood and planted his feet firmly. He couldn't wrap his head around the-for lack of a better word-magic that this man possessed. He didn't seem like a strong fighter, quite the opposite actually, having to use tricks to stay alive.

He only need find a way around it.

* * *

Zarbon was standing toe to toe with the speedy Daemon, the veiled assassin that now had a name. The teal-skinned alien wasn't at all impressed by the man's tactics, but for some reason, he felt as if he were being toyed with.

Daemon suddnely vanished and reappeared behind Zarbon, delivering a sturdy blow to his back.

A transformation may be in order, he thought.

*LINE HERE*

A transformation had most certainly been in order for Frieza. He had had a bad feeling in his stomach when he had opened his eyes and found himself in space, just outside of his ship. A woman had been standing before him, her features much like that of an Earthling, but with an unsettling twist.

Her skin was milky white, her eyes were bright red, and her hair as black as the night.

He had no doubt that this was the mastermind behind all of his problems.

And he had no doubt that she was extremely powerful.

He couldn't risk toying with her, he had to get rid of her as soon as possible.

So he had thrown away all restraint and was now staring her down in his final form, his natural state,

"I'd at least like to know your name before I destroy you." he smiled menacingly.

"I'm flattered." she placed a hand to her chest, "My name is Lilith."

* * *

They had settled on the most open area of the ship, the lounge. It was a large area meant for social activity, but it was rarely used.

Synder threw the first punch, a direct hit.

Adalina had powered up to her maximum, and was still finding it difficult to follow the other woman's movements. She had gotten much more than a power boost.

The force of the hit had thrown her at the wall, which wasn't entirely horrible as she used the momentum to kick herself back into action. She flew towards the fiery one at unbelievable speeds, fully expecting her to dodge.

And when she did, Adalina flew past her and reached out a well directed hand, grabbing her by the throat and tossing her to the ground. It caught her off guard, something the Zandonian was going to have to rely on.

Frieza had taught her quite a few fighting tactics when he had trained her, but even then, sometimes she had to fall back onto the ways of her master Intris, the ways of her people.

 _"If ever there comes a time where you must fight someone stronger you, always remember you have your wits. Out-smart them."_

Mind over body. Intelligence over strength.

Synder pried the fingers from her throat, kicked Adalina in the chest and jumped up, the women headed in opposite directions. The Zandonian's blue hair flipped about in its pony-tail as she collided with one of the many chairs dotted about the area, exploding it in a spray of debris.

"You can't possbily think you'll beat me. I'm way stronger than you are now." Synder flipped her hair over her shoulder, "I'll burn you up." fire erupted on her finger-tips.

"Frieza will wipe the floor with you." Adalina retorted, she only need hold the Ignision off until the tyrant could come deal with her. She wasn't too prideful and knew when she needed help . But if it didn't come fast enough, she could potentially lose her life.

"Ha! You underestimate my master, he won't be coming to rescue you for quite a while dear. Maybe if you beg for mercy I won't kill you, I'm sure her lordship would love to have another play thing."

"I don't think so." Adalina charged a ki blast and shot it at her, the teal ball flying past her as she moved her head to the side, a smirk on her face.

The Zandonian ducked towards her, planting an elbow firmly in her jaw. Synder had a problem with getting too cocky and dropping her guard, and Adalina would play that to her advantage as best she could.

"Lucky hit." she growled in response, rubbing her cheek.

Adalina and Synder threw their hands out at the same time, clasping them and pushing against each other. The Zandonian was struggling to merely keep herself steady, let alone push against the woman.

Adalina released her hands and dropped to the floor, causing Synder to fall forward, leaving herself open.

A teal blast exploded against her rib cage, but she was more than prepared to contend with the other woman. She had been avoiding using her fire, so as to not burn the whole ship down, but she simply did not care any longer.

"Alright, I'm done playing around with you." she held her hands out to the side, a menacing look on her face. Her entire body was engulfed in flames as the air around them became unbearably hot. Synder's eyes turned completely black and her teeth became rows of razor sharp points.

The first hit landed and she felt her skin sear under the force, and she knew she was in for quite the battle.

* * *

Frieza smirked as Lilith panted before him, holding a broken arm. She was glaring, angry at him and angry at herself for underestimating him.

"You can't kill me, I'm practically immortal." her sultry voice was low and calculated.

"No, but I can beat you until you're unrecognizable, perhaps torture you for the location of my Galaxy Staff?"

The woman chuckled darkly,

"Meredith is long gone with it. Even I do not know where it is at."

A shadow crept along the expanse behind the tyrant, pouncing and entrapping him in a death-grip. Lilith smiled and popped her arm back into place, allowing the bone to heal as she floated towards him.

Frieza struggled against them, but could fine no way to break the metaphysical bonds, if they could even be called that, since they were _very_ real.

"I'd say that Synder's long disposed of your precious little warrior by now." she mock pouted as she ran a finger along his shoulder bone, landing on his biogem and squeezing and causing cracks to appear

Lilith was thrown back in a flash of light as power radiated from the tyrant's body,

"Looks like I'll have to use more than twenty percent of my power." he smirked sadistically.

* * *

Vegeta held Baphomet up by his throat, he had finally caught the little bastard! Though at the expense of some rather nasty wounds. All things that could be fixed, of course.

Baph was struggling to keep conscious, he wasn't a fighter like the others, he wasn't strong at all! How was he to escape? He knew a few tricks but none that would allow him to materialize somewhere else without taking the Saiyan along.

Though he _did_ know how to gather and fire energy, ki as it had been called.

He fired a red bolt at the Saiyan's abdomen, a direct hit.

* * *

Zarbon had long since transformed, but the bastard was still dancing around him.

Daemon slashed out with his deadly black blade, the same one that had nearly been responsible for Adalina's death. Dark blood dripped from the slashes that had been made on his teal skin, times when he hadn't been quick enough.

He ducked under the blade and swept his leg out in one swift motion, causing the man to trip up.

He wasn't well-versed in blade safety, Zarbon thought as he watched the black dagger disappear into his shoulder as he hit the ground.

* * *

Adalina was coughing violently, her vision blurring as she held the large hole in her chest. Thankfully it had hit on the opposite side of her heart, but it had definitely knicked a lung. It hadn't been bleeding, since the wound was made by fire, but Synder had ground her foot into it, opening it up.

She sat on the floor, staring at the fiery woman as she advanced.

Perhaps this was it?

Perhaps it was her time to go.

"Are you really going to accept that?" a familiar voice called out.

"Krayton?" there was no way in hell her brother could be there. He was dead.

"You have so many things left to do with your life. I told you to move forward, to keep going. You've already conquered so much, you can't give up. You didn't come this far to be felled by a little girl." he shouted, but where was he?

"Krayton I can't see you.." she had certainly lost her mind. It was the only explanation.

"Aww, so scared you've started seeing ghosts? Your brother's dead." Synder spat.

That snapped her out of her stupor,

"How do you know about him?"

"Research." she answered curtly.

"You know what? I don't actually care how or why you know. What I _do know_ , however, is that I am NOT going to die here. Not by your filthy hands." Adalina pulled herself off of the floor, "I've been through too much."

"That's my girl." her brother's voice filtered through her head once more.

She fired a fully charged ki blast at Synder, the teal sphere engulfing her, but she wouldn't stop there. She dove right into the swirling mass of power and grabbed the Ignision by her hair, but Synder had other plans.

She thrusted her hand forward, directly through Adalina's stomach.

The Zandonian dropped to the floor, defeated.

At least she had managed to do some damage of her own, she thought as she took in the gashes, bruises, and burns that decorated the other woman's body.

Her vision began fading and she thought of all the things she would have loved to tell Frieza, Vegeta, even Zarbon.

And oh God, her parents. She hadn't seen them since they planet had been taken, they probably didn't even know she was alive.

And they never would.

*LINE*

"You're through."

"You might want to worry about little Adalina, she isn't doing too well."

Lilith said breathlessly as she applied pressure to an oozing gash on her neck. Her blood was a deep black color, and thick.

She waved her hand and an image seemed to project into the air in front of them. It was of his second, her health dwindling as she tried her best to defend herself.

Frieza made a bee-line for the ship, not particularly caring if Lilith survived or not.

* * *

"I will not lose to you. I will not die here." she stood with new found strength, her power swelling with some unknown force.

Synder's eyes widened as Adalina's aura exploded in a multi-colored red light. Was she transforming? No, she couldn't let that happen. She tried to run towards the other woman, but could not push bast the barrier of power.

Frieza arrived just in time to see the spectacle unfold. His second was transforming, no doubt.

Small black horns sprouted from her head as her eyes glazed over with an irdescent red glow. A black mask slammed over her mouth and a bright green gem appeared on her forehead. It wasn't a dire change, but it was almost..unsettling the amount of raw power she possessed.

Adalina wasn't even sure what was going on, and wasn't mentally present when she grabbed Synder by the throat, and tossed her out the nearest window, into the abyss of space.

The room began swirling as the pressure differentiated. Frieza ran over to one of the many control panels that dotted the ship, quickly raising the shields.

The tyrant limped over to the woman he had come to care for, her wounds looking as if they were healing,

"Are you alright?" his voice was concerned, but still held that same abrasive tone it always did, he constantly sounded like he had better things to do.

Adalina growled at him, taking a fighting stance. She had went on auto-pilot again,

"Adalina." he grabbed her shoulders, using her name for the second time, "It's over now, she's gone."

He had said her name? Frieza had used her name?

She snapped out of stupor, her body powering down as her new features vanished, receeding back into her body. She dropped, but was caught by the tyrant,

"Frieza?" she questioned, he looked different, "Your horns are gone, and and, you're naked!" se exclaimed, her voice lacking its usual luster.

"I had to resort to my final form to fight this Lilith character." he explained.

"It's nice, you look good. I like it." she mumbled deliriously. She had lost quite a bit of blood, and had exhausted nearly all her power, "I'm gonna take a nap." and with that, she passed out.

Frieza picked her up bridal style and headed to the medical bay. He needed her in top shape if he were to train this new form.

This was only the beginning of a very long battle.

 _In the end, Vegeta and Zarbon had managed to stay alive long enough for Lilith to call her_ _lackeys off. The were all in need of medical attention, but it was a small price to pay for a longer life. How much longer? No one knew, but what they did know, was that they were in for quite a bit of training._

 _ **A/N: I apologize for the late update, it's been a very busy two weeks for me. I had a lot of band things to do, and then I was cast in the play last minute (as I am the student aid for the drama class and knew the script fairly well.) This was also a relatively long chapter, so it took me a while. Believe me, I'll try and keep my updates regular, but it's hard sometimes with all the things I'm involved in.**_

 _ **Pictures of Lilith and Daemon will be up on my deviantart(KuroKagamiImeji) shortly, hopefully by the time this chapter is posted :3 And Adalina's new form was already posted in her original character sheet, but I may draw some concept art, so keep an eye out!**_

 _ **Please forgive any errors in this one, I may have rushed some parts a bit.**_

 _ **We have one more year of time skip(s) to go!**_

 _ **Next Chapter: Vegeta lands on Earth**_


	23. Chapter 22

_Chapter Twenty Two_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

 _One Year Later_

"Stop shooting at me I can't dodge them fast enough!" Adalina shouted as a beam scorched her shoulder.

"No. The point of this is to push you to your limits." Frieza scoffed, "I'm not going to coddle you. You want to get stronger in this new form, yes? Then quit complaining, I'm not going to kill you." He was in his final form, using all of his fingers to rapidly fire ki beams at her, ones that were too fast for her to even _see._

"Could you slow it down at least a little?"

"You know you're not the first woman who's told me to 'slow it down'." he smirked as he continued his onslaught.

Adalina was dodging as fast as she could, at this point merely zig-zagging, hoping that she didn't get hit. His words registered in her brain as she released a sound of disgust,

"Pervert!" she fired a large blast that engulfed the majoirty of beams headed towards her.

Frieza dodged it with ease, a smirk plastered on his face,

"Well at least you figured out what you should have been doing the entire time. Never try to dodge projectiles that are much too fast for you. Obliterate them."

"I'll remember that. Have you heard anything from Vegeta?" she questioned, changing the subject so that she could get out of training any further.

His eyes narrowed,

"No, actually, and that gives me reason to suspect."

Adalina crossed her arms over her chest. It certainly was odd, the Saiyan had been keeping her up to date on his trip ever since he left Planet Arlia nearly a year ago. But the past two days had been nothing. Not a word.

"Have you tried connecting to his scouter and listening in?" he and Nappa were suppose to be traveling to Earth to scout out the warriors that dwell there, see if there were any true threats. They were strong enough to kill Raditz, which wasn't too big a feat, but since a human's average power level was suppose to be five it was a bit disconcerting. Of course it was entirely possible that Kakarot was the one to dispatch his brother.

"It wouldn't help, when I had them updated I made sure that there was a feature added that would alert the wearer to anyone listening. Even myself, unfortunately." he explained. It was a precaution he took in light of the events with Lilith that had occurred a year ago.

"Yeah, but did you do the same with the pods themselves? There's a communication unit in all the ships, remember? You can access them with your HUD." she walked over to the training room door and opened it.

Frieza's eyes were narrowed, but he didn't say anything as he walked into the hall. He hated it when she was right, about anything. Adalina smiled at him, reveling in her small victory as she powered down to her normal state.

Frieza had been staying in his natural state a lot more since they had started training, something about increasing his power. She didn't understand it, but she certainly didn't mind the way his armor fit him when he was in said form.*

They traveled to the throne room, Adalina rushing ahead of him and going to the control panel. She pulled up his HUD and fished through the thousands of communication lines, searching for their location on a map.

"There." she pointed to two small dots speeding towards Earth.

"Stop doing my job for me." Frieza growled as he crossed his arms, standing beside her.

"It's my job too." she clicked on the dot that was leading, assuming it to be Vegeta.

Voices came through the speakers in the throne room, filled with confidence,

"We're almost there, Nappa. Soon the Dragon Balls will be mine, and we'll never have to answer to that fool again."

Both of their eyes widened,

"Dragon Balls? Those damned things we heard about on Raditz' scouter?" Adalina cocked her eye-brow, a small frown on her face.

"You're kidding?" his anger was rising, she could tell, "He's going to try and over-throw me after that entire fiasco we went through last year? Does he not realize that we have much bigger problems to deal with than his idle revenge?"

"Calm down." she placed a hand on his shoulder, "We can't be sure if they're real or not."

"I researched them the moment they were mentioned. They're real, and they work. He's most likely going to wish for immortality, and I'm sure that's well within the Dragon's power." his fists were clenched.

"They're not too far out from Earth, a little over a day, and if I take my ship, I can catch up with them." she tapped her chin, "I'll bring him home. If he makes it to Earth before I do, then maybe those warriors will be able to hold him off."

"And Bereat will one day defeat me." he sarcastically replied, "If you want to prevent any global destruction you might want to go now. Bring him straight to me."

"You will not harm him until we get the full story." she put her hands on her hips, her face set firmly.

"He wants to over-throw me. That's all I need to hear." he glared, "When you're strong enough to defeat me, we'll talk about my choices. Understood?"

"Blah blah." she rolled her eyes, "I'll be off then. Talk about a drastic change of plans. That boy is always causing me trouble." she mumbled. She had had things to get done that day, but preventing him from becoming an even bigger pain in the ass was more important in her book.

"I could always go-"

"No." she interrupted him, the sadistic tone in his voice enough to tell her that it wouldn't be a pretty scene if he went, "I'll go, I've always wanted to visit Earth."

*LINE*

The quiet of space was always a maddening thing to her. She almost wished she had taken someone along. The ship was built to be piloted by one, but could hold at least five people. It was only a day or so, and she'd be fine.

The quiet atmosphere gave her time to think, however. And that's exactly what she had been doing.

Frieza had been a lot more friendly with her since they had started training again, and had even started calling her by her name. It was odd, but she almost felt as if she had finally gotten through to him in some way.

Long gone were his days of killing any creting that dare look at him the wrong way, no, he was far more patient, and forgiving. He still thought himself the strongest being in the universe, and did whatever he had to do to get what he wanted. But he did so without so much violence.

Years ago if she had even dared to roll her eyes at him, she was sure he would have beaten her black and blue, but now he merely brushed it off. She seemed to amuse him more than anything.

And the way he looked at her, it was almost as if he felt the same way. But she knew that couldn't be right, he just wasn't the type of person for romance or relationships. Though he had confirmed her suspiscions over his _sex life_ earlier.

She found herself getting worked up over that. He probably went to bed with women and then ossed them to the side when he was done, of that she had no doubt. He was a prince, and princes were usually play-boys.

"Of course that comes standard with most bad boy types." she mumbled out loud, crossing her arms and propping her feet up on the dash.

"Talking to yourself are we?" a familiar voice called over the speakers.

Adalina fumbled and fell out of her chair with a small yell, flailing her arms as she went,

"What do you think you're doing, spying on me?!" she shouted angrily as she picked herself up, "Don't you have anything better to do?" she pointed at the screen as Frieza's face appeard on the HUD.

"I'm merely checking up on you. Wouldn't want you yo get lost or anything." his tone was condescending, and it got on her nerves.

"How am I suppose to get lost when my ship is on a pre-planned course. Admit it, you just missed me." she sat back down in the same position she was in earlier.

"Yes, who wouldn't miss your incessent nagging." he dead-panned, "Where are the monkeys at currently?"

She had been so preoccupied with her thoughts that she hadn't actually bothered to check on them. She lazily clicked a few buttons and brought up a map. Her eyes widened when she saw where the two dots were,

"They're...almost to Earth." she didn't understand, had they picked up speed? Had she slowed down.

"What?! How?"

"I'm not sure." she pushed her accelerator up, "But I'll catch up with them, though they will most certainly land on Earth before I do."

He glared at her,

"If there's a mess caused, you'll be the one cleaning it up."

"Yes yes, I know." she narrowed her eyes.

This wouldn't end well.

 _ **A/N: And there you have it folks, we are DONE D.O.N.E done with time skips. Of course in true DBZ fashion there will be a few time skips here and there, primarily around the Cell saga, but of course that won't be for quite a while. And rejoice, next chapter we get to meet Z warriors, well, those of which are still alive by the time Adalina lands, hehe.**_

 _ ***Frieza will be getting an armor update soon, same with Adalina, I'll be sure to post them when they are finished.**_

 _ **Also, would you guys like a Christmas special? The oneshot that I promised a few chapters back could totally be turned into an Xmas chapter.**_

 _ **Sorry for such a short chapter, I just couldn't think of anything to lengthen it.**_

 _ **Next chapter: Vegeta gets his ass handed to him**_


	24. Christmas Special

_Chapter 21 Christmas Special_  
 _"Have yourself a Merry little Christmas..._  
 _From now on our troubles will be miles away."_

 _Cold Space_

Adalina groggily walked to her shared room with Frieza,shivering the whole way. Apparently they were in a particularly cold part of space, far from any stars. The heaters could only do so much, and it didn't help that they kept going off due to over-exertion.

The Zandonian hated the cold and was wrapped up in a large coat and sweat-pants. She only wanted to go to sleep underneath piles of blankets. Of course, the bitter cold probably didn't bother the tyrant so the excess covers may just make him too warm.

She entered the room and was quite surprised to see that the tyrant was already there, a blanket wrapped around him as he did work on his portable HUD. He was in his final form, part of his own training regimin.

"If you're cold then that makes me feel like less of a weakling." she commented, catching his attention.

Frieza instantly noticed that the girl was shivering violently, and something else alarming,

"Your lips are nearly blue. Don't you realize how cold it is on this ship right now?" he chided her.

She honestly hadn't noticed that, but her fingers and toes had gone numb after she had left the training room, which had been the warmest part of the ship. She shuffled over to the closet and opened the door,

"Hence why I'm grabbing all of these blankets and burying myself in them."

Adalina proceeded to pile five blankets into her arms and dump them at the foot of the bed, making Frieza's eyes widen,

"No. I am not sleeping under that many covers. While it may be bitterly cold to you, it's only mildy irritating to me. I refuse to be hot all night."

Adalina frowned, she knew what his reaction would be, but hoped she was wrong,

"Fine, I'll only use this one." she held up the thickest one, "And I'll keep these down here just in case." she pushed the rest onto the floor.

He resisted the urge to sigh, and allowed her to do what she wanted. Afterall, she was at risk for frost bite. She curled up next to him, and he didn't mind it. He had almost lost her a month ago, and she was still recovering. She deserved a little slack he supposed.

"Did you know that there's a holiday where people give and recieve gifts? And it's apparently tomorrow." she said randomly after a few moments.

"Sounds asinine." he replied, not looking up from his work.

"Of course you would say that." she sighed, "You don't always have to put up a front around me, you know. I dare say I've nearly seen every emotion come out of you at least point."

That gave him pause. Was she bluffing, or had he really let his guard down that often around her? He tried to think back to those times, he had of course shown emotions like anger and disgust around her. And then whenever he had to watch Polarra he couldn't help but be caring towards the young girl-

"Either go to sleep or be quiet, I'm busy." he spat.

"Seems I hit a nerve-" he released a low growl, "Alright alright, I'll drop it jeez."

Frieza continued his work but found that he couldn't stand the defeaning silence. Of course he wanted to talk with Adalina, loosen his walls around her, he cared for her no matter how much he tried to deny it. But that was weak, his father had said so.

But he wasn't there any longer to patronize his actions.

"How are your injuries?" he asked quietly.

Adalina smiled, she knew he couldn't close himself off forever,

"They're fine. I really wish the transformation had healed this damn hole in my chest, but it just wasn't strong enough." she tapped the gauze over her right lung. She had been offered a healing pod, but they were limited and so many had gotten hurt that she had merely opted for hands-on-care.

"With your regenerative rate it should nearly be healed, right?"

She nodded, it was little more than a gash at that point and would be completely closed up within another week or so.

"I got you a present." she suddenly said, "I wanted to keep it a secret until tomorrow, but I thought a little fore-warning would be a good precaution so you don't blow it up or anything."

She always changed the subject when he asked about her health, no matter what. He didn't understand it all. But then again he didn't like it when people asked after him either, he felt weak admitting his problems to anyone, physical or emotional. Perhaps she felt the same as well? Though, as empathetic as she was, it seemed impossible for her to ignore her own feelings. But maybe she did? He shouldn't care, he had told himself so many times that he _wouldn't_ care.

And yet.

"How thoughtful." he replied sarcastically, "How long will it be until you're able to train?"

"A week." she answered curtly, "It's not that bad, truly."

They once again lapsed into silence, neither of them knowing how to communicate with each other without coming onto their feelings. It was quite the predicament. Adalina had been wanting to ask him something, but wasn't sure how to go about the subject. She sat up and look at him, a serious expression on her face,

"I've actually been meaning to ask you something." she began, waiting until she knew he was listening to continue, "That time, when I fought Synder, I don't remember defeating her at all. I wasn't myself was I?"

He had wanted to avoid telling her that particular bit, seeing as it may have caused her to shy away from transformations, but she was a smart girl. He sighed and thought of a way to properly explain what had happened,

"Your body went on auto-pilot to protect itself. Nothing more." Though it was certainly strange, he hadn't seen or heard of anyone losing control of themselves because of a transformation, save the Saiyans and their ape forms.

"I didn't attack you or anything, right?" she questioned timidly.

"No." Technically she didn't, growling wasn't an attack.

Adalina sighed in relief,

"Good."

Frieza couldn't help but wonder why she was so curious over the matter. Something like that had occurred before, no doubt. The question was, what had she done when she had lost control? He was strong enough to handle her, but he couldn't imagine any of her fellow Zandonians standing a chance,

"Has something like this happened before?" he questioned, his voice calm, belaying no emotion. He didn't want to upset her.

Her eyes widened, of course he would have deduced that, he was quite smart after all. She wondered if she should tell him or not. It wouldn't hurt anything, other than her maybe, from bringing up such bad memories,

"Sort of. I had a childhood friend who was very weak, and very sickly. Even though we were both kids, she wasn't even as strong as an average Zandonian. Long story short, a bunch of mercenaries invaded our planet while she and I were in the woods. I hadn't been training for long at that point, but I knew how to fight. I got into a scuffle with five men who easily over-powered me, and I lost consciousness. Or so I thought. When I came to I was surrounded by bodies, and held my friend's throat in my hands. I had killed her, most certainly, but I didn't remember it. Intris, my former master, took me in after that day." she had gone numb to the distant memory, but it still caused her chest to ache on occasion.

He had no retort for that. He didn't know what to say, it certainly wasn't what he had been imagining. What intrigued him the most was how cold she had gotten whilst telling the story, it was the most shut-off he had ever seen her. Even when they had first met she at least displayed anger and disdain, but this was unsettling. She wasn't completely emotionless.

"I...apologize for asking." it wasn't something he did often, but he felt as if it was something he had to do in that moment. He was being nosy, and he hated nosy people. He shouldn't have asked.

Adalina smiled, her face lighting up again,

"It's fine. I know I can't kill you, so we should be just fine." she curled back under her cover, turning towards him and snuggling into his side, "I'm gonna go to bed now."

He placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair,

"That's probably the best method for ignoring this horrendous chill."

As she fell asleep, she couldn't help but notice that he had not moved his hand, and that he was slowly running his fingers through her hair. She didn't mind it though, it was comforting.

He hadn't noticed what he was doing either, and when he did, he didn't stop. She was asleep, she wouldn't know.

No, she would never know how he felt about her.

And he would never know how she felt about him.

Or at least, that's what they thought.

* * *

He had slept in, and she hadn't even bothered to wake him? How useless she could be.

He growled as he threw the cover to the floor, angry that he hadn't gotten a head start on his work for the day. He stood and was about to storm out the door, when something caught his eye.

There, on one of the side tables, lie a neatly wrapped box with a bright red bow on top.

 _The present,_ he thought. The present Adalina had said she was going to give him. He picked it up, and surely enough, her name was written in neat caligraphy on a small tag that said 'from', his name was on the other side; 'to'.

He sat down and opened it, fully expecting something asinine.

He first found a small note that read,

 _"I let you sleep in, which you'll probably be angry at me for, but I promise you'll thank me later. You always go to bed late, and wake up too early. It's not that healthy, you know. Any way, I wanted to apologize for my stupid rambling last night, my problems are not your problems. But I also want to thank you for listening._  
 _We've come quite a way, and I hope that we continue to progress in our friendship, or whatever you want to call it._

 _P.S. I hope you like your present, it was a pain to get. Hopefully you'll never miscalculate your times ever again!_  
 _Love,_

 _Adalina"_

He scoffed, but couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips as he pulled the actual gift out. It was an ancient looking pocket watch. No doubt she had gone to many traders to acquire it, it almost looked like it was from Earth.

He clicked it open and his eyes widened. The interface was certainly high-tech, and it looked as if he could have the time of any place in the cosmos with a few clicks. The screen projected a hologram into the air, the time already set to Arcos.

She had no doubt modified the watch herself, perhaps that's what she had been doing with her recovery time?

He almost felt guilty for not getting her anything, but that would be too out of character for him. He couldn't let her know how he felt, though maybe, she felt the same way?

Only time would tell.

 _ **A/N: Merry Christmas everyone! I decided to give a bit of back-story in this little one-shot, and some fluff, so I hope you enjoy! I know the timing is a bit weird, since he takes place in-between chapters 21 and 22, but I'm sure you can figure it out!**_

 _ **I probably won't post an actual chapter on Monday, as I'll be bust with Xmas festivities, but we'll be back on schedule on January 4th!**_

 _ **Thank you all for your continued support, I wouldn't have gotten this far without you!**_


	25. Chapter 23

_23_

 _Chapter Twenty Three_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

He had given them three hours for their savior to show, their precious Kakarot. And that time was nearly up. Soon he would have the Dragon Balls, whether it be the Earth's set, or Namek's, he didn't care. He only need his wish for immortality granted, then he could overthrow that smug bastard and claim what was rightfully his.

"Your time is nearly up." he said darkly.

"He'll be here! I know he will!" the young half Saiyan, Gohan, shouted vehemently.

Krillin was almost beginning to doubt that they would make it through the ordeal alive. But he couldn't afford to think like that. Goku would show, he always did.

Adalina watched the exchange through Vegeta's discarded scouter he had left on the ground. She was livid. She had taught him better, she was sure of it. And yet here he was, terrorizing innocent Earthlings all for the sake of some mythical spheres that grant anyone's wish. Stupid.

"Nappa has already killed quite a few people." she reported to Frieza.

"And the Dragon Balls?" he asked in a bored tone, he really didn't care about the lives of some Earthling cretins.

"Apparently they were used to bring Kakarot back to life and are null and void for an Earth year." she replied, "You know you could be a little more empathetic, a lot of people were killed."

"It's not my problem. Earth isn't under the jurisdiction of anyone, so it's not like I'm going to get in _trouble_ for letting a few of the little cretins die." his voice held a sadistic undertone, showing that he truly did not care what happened to the residents of planet Earth, "As long as they don't blow the damn mud ball up, I don't care."

"You're insufferable." she blandly replied, "Why not let them blow up the planet then? Hmm?" she prodded.

"Because that _would_ cause a mess for me. I'm not in that business any longer."

She sighed and didn't bother with a response, merely turning back to the fight,

"This strong energy, it couldn't be Goku, could it?" the Namekian, Piccolo, exclaimed as he stared into the distance.

"You can't possibly feel his power level, you're bluffing me." Vegeta commented as he waltzed over to his scouter and plucked it up. Adalina realized a moment too late and wasn't quick enough to turn her own scouter off. He would know.

He wasted no time in reading the power level of the warrior in the distance, the scouter reading off an impressive 5000. He relayed the information to Nappa, who gasped, not believing what he had heard,

"And by my estimation, he should be here in four minutes-huh, what's this?" he noticed the small icon in the corner of his scouter that meant he was linked with another, "Someone has been listening in on us."

"Oh, not just that, I've been watching too, Vegeta." Adalina smirked, she would be landing soon so it didn't matter if he knew or not, "I'll be landing in about twenty minutes. I'll consider going easy on you if you don't kill anyone else."

"Who is it? Is it Frieza?" Nappa questioned in a panic.

"No, it's Adalina." he smirked, "Nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about? She's way stronger than us!"

"She won't kill us though, and I'm sure we can finish our business in under twenty minutes, right?" the prince chuckled as he looked towards the remaining warriors, "Kill them, I want the first thing Kakarot sees to be the corpses of his comrades. Oh, and stop listening in on me." he finished darkly as he shut the communication line on his scouter completely off.

Adalina grimaced, she had no idea of knowing what was going on now.

"So Goku will be here in four minutes, and someone way stronger than those two will be here in twenty." Krillin whispered to Gohan and Piccolo, "We just have to hold out a little longer you two."

Gohan nodded in determination, Piccolo formulating a plan.

"You ruined the surprise." Frieza chided.

"I know, but that Goku character, I suppose that's what they call Kakarot, he'll be there in four minutes. His power level was quite high, they seemed a bit panicked."

"I honestly don't care what happens any longer, without the Dragon Balls, Vegeta's little plan is useless."

"I don't want him terrorizing Earth any more. I'm sure we wouldn't hear the end of it from Arctica." she gave him a knowing look over the HUD. The kind woman constantly berated her nephew for, well, being a tyrant. Word always seemed to travel back to her.

"Do as you please then. Be their savior." he sarcastically replied, "I want Vegeta brought to me alive though."

"I don't think they'll be able to kill him, he's a tough cookie." she had conflicted feelings on that subject. She was worried for the Saiyan, but she was also worried for the poor Earthlings he was beating on. And that just made her angry at him.

"I've got work to do, report back to me when you land." he shut the HUD off reluctantly, he had wanted to continue talking with her, but he truly did have other things he needed to do. Try as he might, he just couldn't stay away from her. On most days that wasn't a problem, but she was light years away and he found himself missing her, even if she had only been gone a day. He was pathetic, letting some woman dictate his actions.

But it's what his mother would have wanted, he supposed.

She never wanted her sons to grow up to be just like their father. While Cooler had managed to retain some of his soft demeanor, Frieza was the spitting image of Kold, and he hated that. Maybe that was why he was willing to change for Adalina? Not just because he cared for her, but because he didn't want to be his father's design? It made sense, he supposed.

Though, some things would never change. He was still a sadistic bastard on occasion, but that was merely his personality. He craved power and didn't care who he had to knock down to achieve it. He quite enjoyed the effect he had on others, seeing them cower in fear at his very presence. He was a dominating person, and that would never change.

Adalina was beginning to get anxious, she only had five minutes until she landed, and she was almost dreading the sight she may come upon. Hopefully she didn't hate Vegeta. He constantly went on and on about how ruthless Frieza was, how stupid she was for trying to change him. But the prince was no worse for wear himself. He may never admit it, but he and Frieza had a lot more in common than he'd like to think. And this little adventure of his only proved it.

She pulled on the new armor she had received from Frieza, apparently it was tiring to see her in white constantly. It was sturdy and made of the same material as his, with its color scheme being magenta and gold.* It fit her quite well over the skin tight black undersuit she had on, showing her curves.

"Approximately three minutes until landing, please secure yourself before entering the atmosphere." a sweet robotic voice called out, and she obeyed, sitting in the captain's chair and buckling her harness.

Here goes nothing

The boy, he was transforming into a great ape! He wouldn't last long in his condition, he knew it. He tried to stop the grotesque mutation, but it was futile. His only hope would be escape. But then again, there was no where he could go that Adalina wouldn't follow. His plan had been foiled and he wouldn't get a second chance.

"Damn it all!" Vegeta shouted as he backed away from the ape towering over him.

The proud prince wasn't one for retreat, but the situation called for it. No. He could still win, the boy was untrained in such a form. And by the looks of it, he had no control either as he charged towards the bald one.

"Gohan!" Goku called out, "We're your family, the enemy, is over there." he managed to grind out, his consciousness barely holding on. His words seemed to have an effect as the boy turned towards Vegeta...

Adalina hastily exited the spacecraft, she had landed a mile or so out, nothing she couldn't cover in mere seconds. She clicked her scouter on and instantly located the exat location of the battle. There were three low power levels, and one large one, in the shape of a great ape.

"Don't tell me.." she shook her head, it wasn't Vegeta, it would have been stronger.

She zoomed over to the battle field and instantly saw the carnage. Who she assumed to be Kakarot, what with the insane hair, lay in a crater barely breathing. A small bald man also looked near dead, not far from him. But she was looking for Vegeta as she scanned the mesas.

She watched as he tussled with a great ape that she didn't recognize, another Saiyan? How? No matter, he would die if she didn't intervene. She charged up a sharp beam of ki, aimed for the tail, and in one swift move, cut it off.

Vegeta was falling with the massive body, and would no doubt be crushed if it landed on him. She wasted no time in grabbing him, setting him down on the ground beside the fallen ape, who had reverted to a child. Perhaps it was a hafling?

"How dare you intervene, woman?!" he shouted as he stumbled to his feet, his breathing ragged.

"How dare I?! I saved you, even after all the horrible things you've done today. You know, I could have let Frieza come instead, wouldn't that have been fun?" she crossed her arms, her scolding demeanor vanishing with a sigh, "We're going home. But first I'm gonna go apologize."

She waltzed over to Goku, hovering over him,

"You must be Kakarot." she waited for recognition before continuing, "I'm really sorry about his behavior. I promise I raised him better, I hope you can forgive him."

Goku smiled at her, a goofy smile that would become his trademark,

"Everyone deserves a chance at redemption."

She smiled, she quite liked that idea,

"My name is Adalina, by the way, if you're ever traveling the cosmos and find yourself in a bind, let me know and I'll try to help. Until then, take care." she turned away before realizing something, "Oh, and do you need me to contact someone? You most certainly need medical attention."

"I think someone's on their way, but thanks."

Vegeta, meanwhile, had managed to call his space pod. He'd be damned if he went anywhere with her. He would no doubt get a thrashing from Frieza. Adalina turned from Goku and noticed this, furrowing her brows as she ran back over to him. She fired a well aimed blast at the craft, demolishing it.

"You're coming home with me, and Nappa too. Where is he?" she was irritated.

"Dead. I killed him. He was useless to me." her eyes widened at his cruel words, but honestly, she had been expecting it for some time.

"We're leaving." she hoisted him over her shoulder, of course he protested, but she ignored him. She was trying her best not to jostle any wounds, but he was in pretty bad shape, so it was hard trying not to hurt him.

"You're not going anywhere." a small voice countered, causing her to turn around. The bald one, Krillin, she had heard him called over the scouter, was holding a sword with a deadly gleam in his eye.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that." Adalina replied solemnly, knowing all too well how the man felt, "If it makes you feel better, the thrashing he's most likely to get will be worse that death." she was exaggerating, but she'd have said anything to get the human to back down.

"Krillin, let them go, it's okay." Goku called as he watched the exchange,"He deserves another chance, plus, something tells me he might be useful down the line."

Krillin dropped the sword and fell on his bottom in defeat,

"Thank you. And I'm really sorry for what they did." she motioned to Vegeta, "He's not all that bad, I promise." she smiled, "Take care."

She zoomed back to the ship, quickly situating Vegeta on one of the beds within. He would need immediate medical attention, and it's likely that he wouldn't make it to the mother ship. He was critical.

She set a course for the nearest Frieza planet, one of the older ones he had conquered back in the day. Thankfully, it wasn't far away at all, maybe twenty minutes or so if she booked it. Frieza would be mad that she hadn't delivered the Saiyan to him, but hopefully he'd understand.

The Zandonian pulled up her HUD and was instantly met with his smirking visage, once again in his first form, must have gotten bored of his final form or something silly. She sighed and began what she was going to say as calmly as possible,

I'm taking him to planet 211. He's in really bad shape, he wouldn't have made it to the mother ship. I'm not doing this to spite you, I promise."

His eyes narrowed, but he believed her, for the most part anyway,

"Adalina you know if you're lying to me..."

"I'm not."

He sighed, relenting,

"Very well, I'll just come to you then."

"He could be healing for a while, he's in critical condition." she know she sounded as if she were making excuses, but truly, she wasn't.

"Now you're just making excuses. Why are you still trying to protect him even after what he's done?" he spat, knowing how to manipulate the woman expertly.

"For the same reason I try and justify your actions. I'm seriously not making excuses, that Kakarot is one tough warrior." she sighed, "But come if you will, see that I do not jest."

He clicked the HUD off, irritated at the turn of events. He wasn't mad at her, no he just simply liked to push her buttons. He trusted her judgment, and it sounded as if Vegeta received quite the beating, and from a low class warrior none the less! Perhaps the embarrassment could be punishment enough?

Yes, he rather liked that idea. Proud Saiyan prince, defeated by third class trash.

 _ **A/N: *The armor described here is the one in Adalina's original character sheet.**_

 _ **Anyway, I think I finally figured out how to prevent Fanfiction from messing up my format! This is how every chapter is suppose to look, but alas, fanfiction(note, I won't be for sure if it worked til it's uploaded, so you may be reading this and seeing no difference at all). I've also noticed, that if you're reading on a large screen that my paragraphs may seem short to you. That's because I write on an old HP mini, so the screen is really small. In short, everything looks normal to me, but maybe not you? I don't know.**_

 _ **And we're that much closer to the Namek saga, woo. I think next chapter might have some darker themes in it, so be prepared. When I started out on this journey, I never intended for it to be a normal romance. Frieza is still sadistic and, well, when mixed with romance, he can get a bit possesive I guess?**_

 _ **I also drew a new cover for the story, and there's a full sized version with word art up on my Deviantart right now, my username is kurokagamiimeji.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading guys!**_


	26. Chapter 24

_24_

 _Chapter Twenty Four_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

"The doctors said it'll take about a month for him to heal completely." Adalina had her arms crossed, her face twisted in concern. The scene looked nearly ethereal as the green liquid of the healing tank cast an eerie glow over the two occupants in the dimly lit room, "I knew he was in bad shape but not this bad. He went way over his limits."

"Should we be concerned of Kakarot? Will he cause us any problems?" Frieza questioned, his face emotionless, tone: bored.

"No, I don't think so. He didn't seem like the type for revenge, and he was in bad shape too. He's not stronger than us." she reasoned. She didn't want Frieza treating the Earthlings like a threat, they were humble, honorable people.

"It will be your problem if you're wrong." he turned away from the tank, "Come now, Arctica has requested our audience and we need to leave now if we're to get there on time."

She was confused about that, and a little bit concerned,

"Why so sudden?" she questioned as she fell into step with him, "Has something happened?"

"I'm not sure, she sounded urgent, however. She said that it wasn't a matter that could be discussed over vulnerable communication lines." that meant it was sensitive information, more than likely about that damned woman, Lilith.

Arctica had been keeping an eye out on the cosmos, Cooler too, after that entire fiasco had occurred a year ago.

 _"I told you no good would come out of collecting that useless staff, Little Brother." Cooler's voice was condescending as his tail swished back and forth, "You've disturbed an enemy that was nearly too much for you to handle. And in your released form as well. Don't try and tell me you're wrong, it's been quite some time since you've been injured significantly in a battle."_

 _Frieza growled, lunging at his brother, his aching muscles groaning in protest, the gash on his arm splitting open and causing red blood to well to the surface. He ignored it, grabbing his older brother by the throat and pinning him to the wall,_

 _"I'm still strong enough to take you out_ _ **brother**_ _, so I advise you watch yourself."_

 _"Boys! Put him down right now." Arctica had been watching the exchange and had decided that she had had enough. When Frieza didn't listen, she stomped over and jerked them apart, grabbing them by the collars of their armor and tossing them to opposite sides of the room. The woman didn't get angry often, or showcase her surprising amount of brute strength, but when she did, it was explosive, "Can't you see he cares for you? He's only looking out for you and you're letting your stupid ego get in the way of that._

 _"I'm worried for you too. Why can't you accept help from anyone? No matter how tough you think you are, you can't keep doing these things all on your own." she took a deep breath, "What would your mother think? She wouldn't want you two fighting, she wouldn't like your insatiable thirst for conquest, and she certainly would help you if you needed it."_

 _"It never mattered what she thought, only what father thought." he answered, hanging his head low to avoid eye contact with her._

 _"And look what you've become." she replied solemnly, "He's gone. It doesn't matter what he thinks." she placed her hands on her hips, "You've made a pretty formidable enemy kiddo. You need to watch yourself. I'm glad you've got Adalina to look out for you, and now you have the both of us. Starting today, you will be accepting our help. We can both keep an eye out for this Lilith, and you_ _ **will**_ _call us if you run into her again."_

 _The tyrant opened his mouth to protest but was cut off by a small voice next to him,_

 _"I don't want you or Ada to get killed." Polarra's voice was filled was a pleading tone that was too old for her face as she stared straight through him with her ruby red eyes, "It's okay to accept help because that's what family is for."_

And he had been unable to say anything after that. He just couldn't disappoint the little girl, and maybe a few extra eyes would help him track down the Galaxy Staff. But of course, immortality would also help as well.

He smirked, yes, he would be leaving for Namek soon. Perhaps he would wait for Vegeta to wake up? So he could watch him grovel in hopelessness as he stole his wish.

* * *

"We'll be landing soon." Zarbon poked his head into the training room she occupied, informing her.

"Eh, I'm done in here anyway." she sighed and powered down the lasers, having been dodging them for the past few hours. She would have trained with Frieza but he seemed busy and not in the mood at all. So she let it be.

"Is it true that Vegeta killed Nappa himself?" Zarbon had been curious ever since Frieza had mentioned it, and now seemed as good a time as ever.

Adalina furrowed her brows as the two walked side by side down the hall way,

"Yeah. I'm still not sure why, Vegeta was out cold before I could ask. Honestly, I'm not surprised, those two haven't had a healthy relationship in years, and I never liked Nappa to begin with." she reasoned. It wasn't much of a loss, really.

"I agree. Saiyans have a habit of not valuing their comrades lives if they become worthless during battle, perhaps that's what happened? Maybe Nappa couldn't fight any longer."

"Well, whatever it was, there are only three Saiyans left now, and one of them is a halfling." she pulled her hair out of its pony tail, allowing the way blue locks to cascade down her shoulders. Her hair was getting long, she noticed, as it nearly reached the length of Zarbon's braid. She needed to cut it.

"I heard about that. Hopefully the Earthlings won't cause us problems." he stopped at his room, "I suppose I should prepare for landing. I'll talk with you later."

"Bye bye." she waved lightly as he stepped through the door.

She was on her way to the throne room, so she and Frieza could head to the palace together, though she supposed she should stop at their quarters to grab her coat and assorted warm clothing.

Adalina quickly ducked into the room she shared with the tyrant and waltzed over to the closet, searching for her new coat. She kept quite a few of the garments since they traveled to Arcos often. She pulled out the long red coat with black trimming and fur accents. It puffed out in a bell shape at her waist, making it look like a dress. It had a hood too, with black fur around the edges. Something she quite enjoyed.

She pulled on a pair of black tights with soft insulation on the inside,and a matching long sleeved shirt, and then a pair of boots. Gloves adorned her delicate hands, something she usually forgot about. She never wore scarves though, too itchy for her tastes.

She finished her routine and continued on her way to the throne room, which was never a long walk at all, since the two rooms were practically next door to one another.

"That coat suits you well." Frieza said as she walked in. He had bought it for her after all.

"Thank you." she blushed, not use to the compliments he had been giving her as of late, "You have surprisingly good taste."

"Surprisingly? I really wish you had gotten the chance to meet my mother, she was very into the 'fashion' scene, and wished everyday that my brother and I were girls." he smirked at that, one time Cooler had put on one of her dresses for fun, and it had taken off from there.

"Of course of course." she smiled, "When will we be landing."

"In just a few minutes." he answered, "Polarra is dying to see you." he rolled his eyes.

"How cute."

"How annoying." he meant it in good nature of course, the little girl wasn't that bad, most days.

"You were a kid once too. So was I, and I can guarantee you I was way worse than she could ever be. I was a hyper-active little thing." she reminisced, thinking of the time she pushed her brother out of a tree, causing him to break his elbow. Though that was more mean spirited than annoying.

"You mean you've changed since then? I would have never noticed." he drawled out sarcastically. He was in his first form, so she technically had the upper hand, and yet he still teased her. Probably because he could power up in an instant.

"Ha ha, very funny." she was standing beside him as they both gazed out of the bubble port, into the abyss of space. She looked at their reflection and couldn't help thinking how cute they looked together, "Why are we both so short, it isn't fair."

"Does height truly matter when you can fly? It isn't much of a disadvantage, it actually makes us smaller targets." he surmised, it was something he had told himself for years, ever since he had stopped growing. He was merely glad that she didn't tower over him.

A voice announced that they were preparing to dock, so the two of them took a seat. Frieza in his hover pod, and Adalina at her desk. They didn't really need to be buckled in, but the two chairs were rooted to the space ship, so it would be something to hold onto if anything should happen.

It never took long to dock, so the process was over quickly, and the two of them were standing at the air-lock in no time, waiting to exit.

"I don't know if I've ever brought you here during the warmer months. It's not unbearably cold, and it's likely it will be snowing." Frieza commented off-handedly. His planet was beautiful when fresh snow fell, but he wouldn't let her know how awe-inspiring it was to him. But he hoped that she experienced the same wonder he did.

The hatch opened, and sure enough, the city was alive with people as they happily went about their day with the snow falling above them. It wasn't quite a blizzard, but more than a flurry, that was for sure.

Adalina's face lit up, she had never actually seen snow fall, not once in her life. Sure she had been to cold planets made of ice, but never had she seen snow actually come from the sky.

"I've never actually seen snow." she finally replied, "It's wonderful." she stepped out of the ship and onto the fresh white powder, nearly losing her footing on a particularly slick piece of ice. Frieza steadied her by the shoulders, smirking as he walked ahead of her,

"Do try not to fall, it would be embarrassing." he glided over the ground as if it were nothing, making her believe that she had only stepped on one patch of ice.

She took another step and nearly lost her footing again, throwing her arms out to keep steady. The whole road must have been frozen over,

"Frieza that's not fair." she whined, levitating an inch or so off the ground and gliding next to him, "You wanted me to fall." she had her arms crossed.

"No I didn't, that would have been awful of me." he feigned innocence as he placed a hand over his chest in mock hurt, "How could you think so little of me?"

She placed her ankle in front of his shin, lightly kicking backwards and causing him to stumble. He did not fall though, he was just too good. He narrowed his eyes at her, while she flashed him a grin, not caring if he was mad at her. He started it,

"Oh how terrible of me, it was only an accident, I would never do that on purpose."

They continued on their way, Frieza occasionally trying to knock her out of the air while being as discreet as possible. He never managed to, and before long they were walking up the palace steps. Adalina was now securely back on the ground, seeing as the stairs weren't covered in ice.

As they came upon the top landing her flipped his tail out, tripping her. She grabbed onto his shoulder, bringing him down with her. Unfortunately they landed in quite the compromising position, with Frieza on top of her, straddling her waist.

In another unfortunate turn of events, Arctica just so happened to open the door and see the spectacle unfold. She smirked and put a hand on her hip,

"While I have no problem allowing you two to get better acquainted with each other, you _are_ in public, and we also have some rather important matters to discuss."

Adalina's face was a bright red as she pushed him off of her, jumping to her feet as she brushed the snow off of her jacket. She was glowering at him, mumbling something about 'insensitive idiots' as she stomped through the open door, past the two Arcosians.

Frieza shared the same sense of humor as his aunt, so he found the whole situation amusing, and a little enlightening. He hadn't minded the position they were in, not one bit.

"Adalina dear she's merely teasing you." he said as he entered the foyer as well, one of the servants had already taken her coat. He hadn't realized what he had called her until it was too late. Usually he only called her dear in a mocking manner, but this was far from it.

The Zandonian seemed to have ignored it as she scoffed,

"I'm not mad." she gave a small smirk, "Though I don't think we ended up in the position by accident, Frieza." she winked, she was only teasing. Or maybe it was flirting? Was there a difference?

He didn't know how to react to that, so he settled for his usual biting tone,

"I assure you, we did." he turned toward Arctica as the woman entered the room,

"You two stop flirting and come on. We've got a lot to talk about."

Adalina's blush reappeared with a new found fury as she glared at the older woman,

"It's not flirting." she mumbled.

"Of course it isn't deary." she smiled and patted her on the head.

The throne room was as magnificent as ever, decorated in red and gold, however, Frieza held it with some disdain when he saw who was waiting for them.

Cooler showed no emotion, and neither did he, both brothers giving each other an unreadable look. Adalina hated that they fought with each other, but it seemed to be getting better.

Arctica took a seat on her throne, the others gathering around her,

"Hello Adalina, it's been a while." Cooler said in passing.

"Yes it has been."

Frieza glared at the two, not liking in the slightest that his brother was talking to _his_ second. He knew he shouldn't be so possessive, but the woman belonged to him. And his brother loved taking his belongings.

"I'm just gonna dive right into this, since I've kept you waiting long enough. We learned some new things about Lilith." Arctica began, clicking a remote that brought up a hologram in the middle of the now dimly-lit room, it was an image of a planet, "She hails from on of the other universes, I'm sure you know of them."

Adalina had heard of them, there were twelve universes in total, but she was under the impression that only gods and their attendants could travel back and forth between the worlds,

"How is she here then?" Frieza questioned, "It's very difficult to travel between universes."

Arctica clicked another button, showing Lilith, Baphomet, and Daemon, though they were all wearing creepy looking clothing, draped in shadows,

"I got in touch with the Supreme Kai, though he was nearly reluctant to speak with me, given our family's history." Cooler was the one to speak this time, "She's from the demon realm, but apparently, in her universe, her and a handful of other demons attempted to stage a coupe, and overthrow the leader of Hell. Their attempt failed and they were cast out, to our universe."

"Sounds like a story." Frieza drawled out.

"You have no idea how many strings I had to pull to get this information, and then The Supreme Kai had to pull even more. It's accurate." Cooler glared at him, irritated that his brother didn't believe him.

Arctica held her hand up to prevent any arguments before they started,

"It's the best answer we've got. I'm assuming she's in league with an alien capable of controlling the Galaxy Staff, since there's no way she would have even known about it. I'm not sure what she's trying to do, but whatever it is, can't be good for anyone. Supreme Kai suggested that it was possible she is trying to revive Majin Buu, but with the Galaxy Staff, there are far worse possibilities." her face was serious as she explained the direness of the situation.

"The staff part was destroyed wasn't it?" Adalina questioned.

"Yes, but, that doesn't mean a strong mage or wizard can't build a new one. It's only a matter of time before she finds one, if she hasn't already." Cooler answered, his arms crossed over his chest, "We need to find it and prevent that from happening."

"She's hiding and we have no way of finding her, our scouter don't read their ki signatures." Frieza knew they were helpless in that department, if she didn't want to be found, she wouldn't be.

"We have the engineers working on something right now, it should be done within the month." Arctica smirked, "It is our duty to keep this universe safe, whether you like it or not. We'll find her, one way or another."

"Of course." Adalina smiled, "We can do that."

Arctica smiled, that girl would keep his nephew in check,

"Now, why don't you two go and find little miss Polarra. She's out in the town somewhere, and it's getting dark."

Frieza sighed but relented, turning to leave with Adalina at his side,

"Any idea where she would be?" he asked

"Try the sweets shop." Arctica replied blandly, knowing that the girl had probably spent the whole of her allowance on candy and other assorted deserts.

The two walked back to the foyer so Adalina could grab her coat,

"Do you think we'll be able to find Lilith before anything happens?" she questioned as she buttoned the red garment up and pulled her hood over her head.

"Honestly? I think we'll have to take action when she does. She's not that strong, certainly not stronger than myself. This universe is mine to rule, I'll not let someone as petty as her take it from me." he had a sinister tone in his voice, one that still scared her from time to time. It made it feel as if all the work she had done was insignificant, that he would never truly change.

"Well, that and, it would be bad if everyone died or anything." she said as gently as possible, so as to not anger him.

"Yes of course.'" he replied dully, he didn't mean it.

They stepped into the chilly air and walked off into the city, Adalina taking extra care on the ice this time, placing her weight forward a bit and taking slow, deliberate steps. It helped a lot, but she was still cautious, and wary of the tyrant beside her.

"Perhaps we should split up? There are a lot of people out tonight." she suggested.

Frieza nodded, agreeing with her,

"Don't get lost yourself, though." he called before turning away, "You should check the sweets shop first." he added as an after-thought.

She nodded, walking towards the cute little shop with colorful cakes and candies in the window, heaven for Polarra. She would be surprised if the young girl wasn't in there. She walked in with a purpose, searching for the familiar red bio-gem and pale skin. There was a few Arcosian children in there, but none of them who she was looking for.

She walked to the counter to ask the smiling young cashier if she had seen the little girl.

"Actually, she just left a few minutes ago." she replied, "She seemed to be on a mission."

"Thank you." Adalina sighed and walked out the door, watching the ground as she turned the corner. She probably she have been watching where she was going, as she bumped into someone, nearly losing her footing.

A strong hand gripped her shoulder and prevented her from falling,

"Woah there." a distinctly male voice commented.

"I am so sorry sir, I'm a bit air-headed I'm afraid." she looked up, surprised by how tall he was. He looked like Cooler almost, but with a black and white color scheme, and pale lips. Not at all the deep purple she was use to seeing on the Arcosians.

"No worries, you slipped on the ice, it's to be expected." he held out a hand, "I'm Kain."

Adalina took his hand, returning the gesture before releasing his appendage,

"Adalina. I'm actually looking for someone, Polarra, she's the queen's daughter." she explained, hoping he could be of some help.

"I can't say I've seen her." he dismissed her question quickly, "Say, aren't you Frieza's second in command?"

That caught her off guard, most of the civilians didn't address him without an honorific of some sort, meaning he must have been a noble or something of that matter,

"I-yes. I am." she answered reluctantly, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

A sudden darkness seemed to settle beside her as someone gripped her bare wrist, their nails puncturing the exposed skin,

"There you are." he growled through clenched teeth, "I found her. We're leaving." he was giving her a look she hadn't received in years, one that said, 'disobey me and I'll make you regret it.' What had gotten into him?

He didn't wait for her reply, merely dragging her off towards where he had told Polarra to wait,

"Hey, ow- hey, you're hurting me, let go!" she whispered urgently.

He released her arm, and she brought it to her chest, cradling the injury. It wasn't anything that wouldn't heal in an hour or so, but it had shocked her,

"Do not talk to that man ever again do you understand me?" he growled lowly, so they wouldn't be over-heard.

"Why not Frieza, I'm a grown woman I can take care of myself." she replied in a heated whisper.

"Because I said so. Do not forget who _owns_ you Adalina. I do not want you around him." he had his reasons of course, reasons that she didn't need to know, not at that moment. He sighed as he stared at her dejected look, "Let me see." he held his hand out for her arm.

She reluctantly held it out, and he took it, gently inspecting the small, bloody half-moons he had caused to blossom on her lilac skin,

"I apologize, I forget I have sharp nails sometimes." he covered, it was a lie, but he couldn't have her mad at him.

"Maybe you should cut them." she suggested, taking her arm back and walking once more.

"And maybe you should cut your hair." he replied.

"I'll ask Arctica to when we return." she sighed, still confused over what had just happened.

Perhaps he was still as toxic as he had always been? Though his bouts of violent anger were few and far between, and she certainly wasn't some victim to be pushed around, it wasn't healthy, for either of them.

Maybe he was jealous? Or maybe Kain was a bad man and she just didn't know it, he had his reasons and she was sure that he would tell her in time.

In time.

 _ **A/N: That was a little intense. And don't worry, Polarra will be in the next chapter. If any of you have any questions about this chapter, just leave a review and I'll try to answer it. Oh, and I got into a little debate with a friend of mine about using the word 'Arcosian' in here. I am aware that it isn't canon, but honestly, I've already changed the canon, and this is fanfiction so what does it matter. Any way, Frieza is still a bit of a tyrant, and that won't really change until after Namek. I'm trying to be as slow as possible with this, because it's really easy to redeem these character types too quickly. I understand that Frieza is an absolute terror, so it's only natural that it would take a while for someone that awful and stuck in their ways to change.**_

 _ **Also, I'm working on a picture of Adalina in her winter gear, so keep an eye out for it. And I'll post a picture of Kain when I get to it, I've never been good at drawing boys.**_

 _ **Next Chapter: Polarra trains with Adalina, Frieza, and Cooler.**_


	27. Chapter 25

_25_

 _Chapter Twenty Five_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

"Ada!" Polarra shouted happily as she came into view, Frieza beside her. The small Arcosian girl ran and barreled into her, wrapping her arms around her waist, "It's been so long."

Adalina drew a gentle hand over the girl's bio-gem, at this point she was like an older sister to the her,

"It's only been a few months." she smiled, the girl always made a big deal out of seeing her, no matter how long it had been.

"Come now, your mother is waiting." Frieza cut in, still in one of his moods. She would definitely be asking about this 'Kain' figure later.

The two girls broke apart, Polarra placing her delicate hand in the Zandonians as they walked.

"How's your training coming along?" she asked the young Arcosian. She knew Cooler was conditioning her, but didn't expect it to be anything strenuous, she was still a kid after-all. Though, if she'd learned anything from Frieza, it was that his entire race was extremely durable, and possessed a power unlike any other. His family in particular seemed to be mutants in their own right because of their high power levels.

"Well, that's actually what I wanted to talk to you two about." she smiled sheepishly, as if she were embarrassed of what she wanted to say, "Uhm-"

"We do not say 'uhm', young lady." Frieza gently corrected her. He was ruthless sometimes, but boy did he love his proper language.

"Right, do you think you two could help Cooler train me tomorrow?" she had her lips lightly pouted as she looked up at the two. An adorable sight that was nearly impossible to deny, "I just really want to see if I have what it takes to keep up with you two."

Frieza pondered the preposition, he himself was curious to see how far she had come with his _brother_ training her. She was constantly in her unsealed, 'final form' which lead him to believe that she was learning how to control it, at a much younger age than he had, though that was due to his unnaturally high power level.

"I don't see why not." Adalina answered for the both of them, "Sometimes it's good to have other perspectives outside of your mentor's."

"Yay!" the girl squealed, a bright smile lighting up her face.

"Please Polarra, refrain from making such high frequency noises." Frieza had a look of disdain on his face, his nose scrunched up.

Polarra turned to look at him, placing her free hand on her hip and bending slightly at the waist so he could see her clearly. She stuck her tongue out at him, and Adalina nearly choked trying to hold in her laughter. The tyrant's demeanor changed as he stopped in front of the two, halting their path. They were already on the palace steps.

Frieza's tail snaked around the younger Arcosian and he lifted her up, walking to the landing, holding her over the edge of the railing. Jagged spikes of ice and rock protruded from the long drop, but Polarra showed no fear, in fact, she was giggling at the entire exchange. That's right, even if he did drop her, she could fly, she would be fine.

"You know, I could drop you." he smirked, "Then what." he was only teasing the girl, he wouldn't actually let her fall, no matter if she could catch herself or not.

"I'd just fly back up Frieza you can't scare me like that." she giggled, kicking her feet back and forth as she enjoyed the ride.

"Put her down." Adalina laughed, coming to stand beside him.

Frieza obliged, but as soon as he set the girl down and released her, his tail was around the Zandonian, holding her over the ledge,

"You could have just said you wanted a turn." he mocked, smirking in the face of her glower.

"Put me down." she furrowed her brows, "I'm not a little kid, I'll fight you."

"And I'll drop you." as he said this, his grip loosened on the woman, allowing her to fall towards the foreboding crevice. She allowed herself to fall quite a distance before catching herself mid-air and flying back up to them. Polarra seemed mildly worried, but her face instantly brightened up when she saw the woman was unharmed.

Frieza smirked at her disgruntled look, enjoying the way her face twisted when she was angry. Her delicate brows furrowed, her lips curled, and her eyes seemed to turn into molten pools of gold any time he pressed her buttons. It was riveting.

Arctica stepped out onto the landing, catching her nephew and his second in a petulant display of affection for the second time that day. Truly, if she didn't know any better, she would have already guessed they were courting. But Frieza's stoic demeanor towards anything romantic -his previous endeavors her only guide- discouraged her from believing such fallacies could be possible. At that moment at least. She needed more proof before she had a sound argument for their relationship status. What could she say, she was a hopeless romantic, and a meddling aunt, the two didn't mingle well.

"Frieza, making a woman mad isn't the way to her heart you know." she teased knowingly.

The tyrant, predictably, adorned an expression that was a mix between confidence and mild embarrassment,

"Truly? I didn't know that." he replied sardonically, irritated at his aunts inability to mind her own business, "I'm not trying to 'find my way' into her heart." he mocked the woman's wistful tone, "I'm merely teaching her a lesson." he knew his reason didn't make a lot of sense, but he didn't care as he waltzed through the door, head held high. He was the strongest person on the planet, let alone the universe, no one would patronize him, not even his aunt.

Adalina had long since lost her irritated glare. Perhaps he _had_ seen through her guise, had realized she harbored feelings for him. Her chest constricted as she berated herself on how clueless she had been. Of course he would have realized it! And of course, he was using it against her, manipulating and toying with her, disconcerting her. He found amusement in her genuine feelings.

Polarra had followed her cousin in after a haughty look from her mother, leaving the two women out on the landing,

"He finds it amusing to toy with me. He knows how I feel, doesn't he? And certainly doesn't return those feelings."

Arctica thought about it, a cold wind blowing past the two of them,

"No, I don't think that's it. Frieza, he's never been emotional at all. His father told both of the boys constantly that it was a weakness, that it would 'be their undoing, just as it was their mother's'." she quoted the hulking brute with an air of flippancy, "He probably does feel affection towards you, and just doesn't know how to express it properly. He's gone his whole life believing that such things were not welcome in the heart of a ruler, and certainly not in the heart of a warrior. One must be detached to fulfill the duties required of him. He's opening up, slowly but surely though. You're the one to blame for that." she smiled, "While he is known for his sadistic ploys, I don't think this is one. He wouldn't have been blushing if it were." she winked. Adalina felt much better about the entire situation, enjoying her girl time with the Arcosian Queen.

The two walked into the foyer and to the dining hall, where they came upon a lacustrine scene. Water cascaded onto the floor from the sinks in the kitchen, making the luscious red carpet a much darker shade as it squished beneath their feet,

"Polarra!" the Arcosian woman yelled, her brow twitching as she stomped her way into the kitchen. The sight she came upon nearly made her anger vanish. Polarra had accumulated quite the pile of towels in an attempt to staunch the flow of liquid pouring out of the busted faucet on the sink.

Frieza, on the other hand, was laughing at his older brother vainly attempting to find the shut-off valve, his head tucked underneath the cabinet that housed the piping,

"I'm sorry Mama! I was trying to get a glass of water, and, well, I uh-uh, I twisted the knob _too_ much." she was obviously sorry for her actions, and Arctica understood that it was an accident. But it did cause her worry, something she would have to address later.

"Good thing I was already in here." Cooler spat, "Since Frieza wouldn't know _actual_ labor if it hit him in the face."

Arctica chuckled at that as she walked over and delicately crushed the open end of the broken faucet, stopping the flow of water,

"The shut-off valve is right there." she pointed to a bright red lever under the sink as she lightly bent at her knees, "Mr. Actual Labor."

He stoically pulled the lever, stopping the flow entirely so that the water pressure didn't build up and cause an even bigger mess. He was soaking wet and not entirely happy, especially not with his brother looking down upon him, an infuriating smirk on his face.

"That's quite the look brother." he commented, hands on his hips, "How utterly pathetic."

"Frieza." Adalina admonished, "At least he tried to help. Jeez why are you two always at each other, and most of the time it isn't even Cooler starting anything, it's you."

"Call it sibling rivalry." he shrugged his shoulders.

"I had an older brother, I know what true sibling rivalry looks like, and you're just being mean." she hmphed as she crossed her arms over her chest, "You two need group therapy."

Cooler smirked as he stood,

"Looks like she's got us figured out _little_ brother." the older Arcosian patted his brother's head none-to-gently, causing a grimace to appear on the tyrant's face.

"Refrain from touching me you brute." he spat, shrugging off Cooler's touch.

"You two better get along if we're to train Polarra tomorrow." the younger girl had long since scampered off the change her wet clothes.

"Ah, so she managed to inveigle you two?" Arctica smiled pleasantly, "After this fiasco, I'd say it's much needed. She's getting stronger, and her power is getting harder to control."

"If you didn't allow her to constantly stay in such a volatile form I'm sure your life would be much easier." Frieza's commented disapprovingly.

"Yes, as if you two terrors weren't enough when you were children." she replied sardonically, a mock glare on her face, "She's not stronger than I yet, and certainly not you three. The worst she does is break things on occasion. But I fear that won't be the case for much longer." her countenance was dead serious at this point, lacking all humor.

"So, teach her to transform properly." Frieza replied as if it were the easiest, most obvious solution,which, upon normal circumstances, it very well could have been.

"That's just it, Frieza. She can't." Cooler solemnly stated, "She's like Mother."

The young tyrant's eyes widened a fraction. Could it be that such mutant genes had been passed on?

"Sorry if I sound imposing, but what are you talking about?" Adalina sheepishly questioned, not one to pry about family matters.

"Let's go someplace else, I'm tired standing in water." Arctica smiled, a sign that she was willing to divulge such information.

Moments later found them in one of the many drawing rooms that dotted the palace, Adalina and Frieza sitting next to each other on a loveseat while Cooler and Arctica sat opposite in matching arm-chairs.

"As I'm certain you already know, Orithyia was my sister, and their mother." Arctica begain, it was the first time Adalina had actually heard her name, as Frieza refrained from talking about his mother much, "It was very apparent from a young age that she was unlike our peers. We weren't far apart, but she was still my older sister, so when I could transform, and she couldn't, we knew that something was amiss. It turned out to be a genetic mutation within our blood-line, one that, to an outside, may not seem significant, but to us, it was very alarming.

"Our ability to transform is what keeps our power from running rampant, until we learn how to properly control it, that is. Our species level of high ki is something that needs to be contained, for if not adequately maintained it is prone to spilling over and causing havoc. My sister spent much of her young life training herself to have absolute control over her power, and her emotions, as any strong negative feelings were sure to cause her to _lose_ control. It wasn't easy, not by a long shot, but she managed. Her life was relatively normal once we were both adults, but Polarra is a long way from that." she sadly looked down, "I don't want her to struggle with such things, which is why I'm having Cooler train her, and hopefully you two. Especially you Frieza, with your abnormally high power level, I know how hard it was for you as a kid to keep your power in check without transforming." she said pointedly, as if there was no room for debate.

"Very well then, we'll work with her some tomorrow, and any time we visit. Is this fair?" he sounded bored, but Adalina could tell that something was churning inside his head.

Arctica smiled,

"That'd be great!" she stood elegantly, "I'll go see if that mess is cleaned up, and get the staff started on dinner." she left, leaving the room feeling a bit tense.

"I suppose I should go do something productive." Cooler commented in his usual stoic demeanor, leaving the room as well.

Silence filled the room, not uncomfortable, or unusual for the two remaining occupants. Adalina turned a bit and studied his face, trying to find a glimmer of what she had saw earlier, he seemed conflicted about something.

"When I was a child, I distinctly remember thinking that my father was the strongest person in the universe, that nothing could touch him, and that my mother was a kind and caring woman, but certainly not a fighter.

"One night, Cooler and I were sneaking around after our curfews, as children do, when we heard yelling coming from the throne room. Curious as we were, we went to investigate. Our parents were having a verbal altercation of sorts, about us. My mother never wanted a life of tyranny for either of us, but my father, of course, wanted us to continue the family business with an iron fist. Mother was always so calm and collected, but that night, she had been pushed too far. I had never seen her so enraged, and I had never seen my father so _terrified_ as she effortlessly tossed him through a wall." he recounted the story in a distant tone, "I'm telling you this, because Polarra could very well grow up to be a strong warrior, and even now, she could throw some surprises out, so we need not underestimate her. We will train her at full power. Understood?"

Adalina nodded in affirmation, still shocked that he had told her something so personal. But, they were growing much closer, and she was breaking down his walls, little by little.

"Thank you for telling me." she replied sincerely.

A grimace settled on his face, his walls going right back up,

"I thought it beneficial for you and I both, do not expect it to become a normalcy."

She sighed, it had always been like that, but she could see right past his facade by now, and it didn't phase her one bit.

Adalina had been intending to ask him about Kain, but decided that now wasn't a good time.

* * *

Cooler had settled himself in his room, intending to get _some_ work done while he was visiting his home planet. He would bet anything that his fool of a younger brother was shirking his responsibilities at any given opportunity, this being one of them.

Though, perhaps Adalina was keeping him in line during their visit?

He was constantly astonished at her ability to tame his despot of a brother, what with her deceptively kind nature. But he knew, underneath her disarming smiles and charming attitude, there lie an unmovable force. She was stubborn and confident, and could keep up with the best of them. He wouldn't doubt that the girl was stronger than he himself, or well on her way.

Frieza was enamored with her, it wasn't hard to tell, not from his perspective at least- they had grown up together after all- and it brought a smile to his face. _'He's spent his whole life pushing people away for the sake of becoming a hardened warrior, fit for our father.'_ the Arcosian thought blithely, _'This is good for him, even if he himself cannot see it yet.'_

Perhaps the young girl could redintegrate him yet? He had always held out that his brother would see the error of his ways and turn away from the violent nature their father had instilled in him, had tried to instill in both of them. But the older they grew, the more capricious their interactions became. They would fight, physically and verbally, nearly every time they saw each other, and it always left Cooler defeated and angry. Their father had stood by Frieza's actions, and had even encouraged it, saying that such familial ties would only serve to weaken the both of them further. It had always been like that since the death of their mother, but things seemed to be looking up.

They were no longer prone to fits of brutish violence, and were beginning to behave like siblings again, and he could only chalk it up to Adalina being in his brother's life. She was slowly weedling her way into his heart, and in turn, making everyone's lives easier.

"I must stop with these fugacious musings." he mumbled aloud as he began typing on his computer, "I have work to do."

*LINE*

Adalina arose early the next day, not surprised to see the space beside her empty, Frieza had a habit of going about his duties with-out bothering to wake her. She stretched her stiff muscles, yawning as she did so.

"Looks like I won't have to force you out of bed after-all." a voice interrupted her pandiculations, causing her to glance towards the source. Frieza was in his final form, a smirk playing on his lips as he looked down on her, "Pity too, I was looking forward to it."

"So very sorry I didn't afford you the pleasure of my wrath, _your highness_." she replied, a sardonic scowl gracing her usual visage, an expression much more befitting of the tyrant before her. Seems he _had_ rubbed off on her.

Frieza didn't waver, he knew how agitated she could get in the morning and reveled in her her annoyed expression. He wasn't sure why he enjoyed getting a rise out of her, perhaps it was revenge for all the times she had done the same to him?

"Oh? You make it sound like you're stronger than me, which I can assure, you are not." a condescinding smile found its way onto his lips as she stood with an exasperated sigh.

"Yes yes, I know." she lightly patted him on his shoulder, he hands lingering on the smooth surface of his bio-gem, "I'm going to go shower, and then I assume we are to begin training?"

He nodded at her, the only confirmation she need before shambling over to the bathroom. She was never really a morning person, especially not when she could sleep in such comfortable beds.

Adalina began stripping, eager to hop into the warm water that would soon be cascading over her. She hummed as she stepped into the oval shaped area, and then promptly forgot how the damn thing worked. Every time she came here she had to ask Frieza how the complicated faucet turned on. She knew it was something she should have committed to memory but they didn't come by often enough for her to even worry about it.

"Frieza.." she called out, a tinge of shame in her voice, she hoped he hadn't left yet as she wrapped herself in a towel.

"Oh no, I _refuse_ to help you this time. You should know how to use it by now." he had his nose high in the air as he stood by the door, she had caught right when he was leaving.

"I'm sorry, we just come here so sparingly that I...forget. I know it's something blaringly obvious and stupid but I can't remember." she whined, she knew he hated when she used such a tone of voice,

"You know I _loathe_ people who whine helplessly." he crossed his arms at her petulent behavior.

She furrowed her brows indignantly, annoyed that he wouldn't help her with something so simple,

"Come on just come in here and help me, it'll make both of our lives easier."

Frieza relented and stomped into the bathroom, fully intent on giving her an ear-full when he stopped abruptly, his cheeks threatening to turn pink. She was dressed in nothing but a towel, a small one at that, barely covering anything at all. Her hair was tossled, framing her pouting face delicately. He didn't get to see her muscular build often, but even now he found himself amazed that such power could come out of such a lean and feminine build.

"You could have at least made yourself presentable, you insolent woman!" he ground out as he clicked a button on the outside wall, causing water to pour from the ceiling of the oval shaped shower.

She blushed furiously before shoving him towards the door,

"Thank you and good bye." she huffed in annoyance, slamming it after him.

She couldn't tell if he was bashful over her appearence, or if he didn't want to see it at all. It made her self-conscious, was she not pretty enough for him? Sure, they were different species, but they weren't that different. They were both rooted in reptilian ancestry after-all.

She sighed, stepping into the warm water, it was just how he worked. He thought it weak to be enamored by anything, and so he wouldn't show it, or even act upon it. Which made her feelings of affection obsolete. Even if he felt the same way, he would never admit it.

 _'Though he has been overly flirty as of late.'_ she thought with a smirk, perhaps her charm was wearing him down some? Though, his version of flirting consisted of wayward comments with that same infuriating smirk plastered on his face.

At least there was still hope for him yet.

* * *

Not long after her shower, they had gathered in one of the large training rooms the castle housed, Arctica looking down through a wall of thick glass, high above the action.

"Now, Polarra, we've decided it would be benefical to train you at our full power, well, mine at least. If it's too much for you to handle, just say so and we'll take it down a notch." Adalina explained gently. She knew Frieza would still be holding back, but she hadn't planned on it.

Cooler nodded in affimation,

"Yes, it's never good to let your ego overrule your judgement." he glanced pointedly at his younger brother, who merely glared in return.

The two older Arcosian's auras flared to life, bringing their power levels to insurmountable highs, amazing the younger girl. Polarra too powered up, and it was almost like the air around them shifted. She could nearly _feel_ the young girl's chaotic energy.

"Guess I'll go too." Adalina smiled sheepishly, Frieza was the only one who had seen her transformed state, so she was a little shy showing it to other people.

She closed her eyes and allowed her teal aura to envelope her as she pushed her power higher and higher, looking deep within herself to find the power she harbored. She felt her body morph as the transformation took its toll, causing her only mild discomfort.

When the spectacle had ceased, all eyes were on her, curious of the change,

"Wow Ada, that's so cool!" Polarra exclaimed, "And pretty too!"

"Can you speak properly with that mask over your mouth?" Cooler asked, a doubting tone to his voice.

"Yeah, actually, it's not bad." her voice didn't even come out muffled, "Kinda weird actually."

"If you're quite done, shall we begin?" Frieza was tapping his nails against his bicep impatiently, tail swishing back and forth in a motion Adalina hade come to associate with annoyance. She knew he didn't like Cooler speaking with her, but this was ridiculous! Yet another thing she'd have to address later.

"Fine fine, Polarra, why don't you show them your new trick." the way he said it almost sounded like they were getting themselves into something a lot bigger than they had anticipated.

"Okay!" she chirped. The young girl threw her hands out in front of her, a mask of deep concentration settling over her features. Adalina stiffened a bit, not knowing what to expect from the young girl.

The next moment found both tyrant and second levitating in the air, unable to move. Frieza smirked devilishly and attempted to force himself out of her hold, but it wouldn't budge, and he wasn't about to unintentionally harm the girl by using more power to dispel it.

Adalina was just as baffled, finding it difficult to move about,

"You see, Polarra is very skilled with her psychic abilities, more so than her fighting. I dare say she out-classes us both at this age, Brother." Cooler relayed proudly.

Frieza found himself proud of the young girl as well, she certainly was a lot better at handling her mental powers than he was at that age, mostly because he settled for ki regulation and fighting strength,

"This might prove to be an interesting training session after-all."

 _ **A/N: I would have totally written more this training session if I wasn't planning on writing more about it in a later chapter, so expect more! I had always had this idea of what would happen to an Arcosian who couldn't transform, since Frieza stated that the only reason they change is to keep their enormous power from unintentionally causing destruction. So, I figured if Kold was a mutant, their mom should be too. I know this little spit with Polarra might seem irrelevant, but, as a lot of small details in this story, it will become important later on.**_

 _ **Some of you may notice a few larger words in here, and that's merely because I decided to put my English assignment and my fanfiction together for this chapter. I had to use vocabulary words from a list to make a short story but I could only use the ones I recognized, so, I just, put it in here... Hehe, that counts right? I've always been more of an essay type person over anything creative.**_

 _ **Anyway, a picture of Orithyia is up on my deviantart(KuroKagamiImeji), props to anyone who knows where her name comes from! Also, I painted a semi-realistic version of Adalina in her red coat, it is also on my dA, but if you don't feel like trapsing the site for it, I've made it my profile picture on here, so you can just go to my account and look at it!**_

 _ **There will be one more chapter before the Namek saga really kicks off, and I dare say, that's where our story trully begins, so get hyped!**_

 _ **Also, I tend to answer any questions you have in PMs, so keep an eye out on your inbox! ;)**_

 _ **Next Chapter: Adalina gets trapped in a snow storm.**_


	28. Chapter 26

_26_

 _Chapter Twenty Six_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

Adalina found herself once again in the shower after a long day of training, though it was barely afternoon on the icey planet. She still had a few things she could get done before night fell.

Her thoughts wandered to Polarra and the little girl's surprising amount of power. She had effortlessly held both Frieza and herself back with nothing but her mind, deflecting ki blasts with psychic powers alone. It was amazing, watching her own blasts change trajectory towards the ceiling while the little Arcosian merely stood back with a smile on her face.

Frieza had taught her a few tips for regulating her energy, and Adalina had stressed the importance of not getting angry or overly upset during battle, for it could cloud her thoughts, and push her power level to uncontrollable levels.

Of course, Cooler and Frieza had gotten into a verbal scuffle when the former had tacitly explained that his younger brother was prone to fits of rage, ones that made him a sloppy fighter from time to time.

 _"I was merely using you as an example, brother." he knew he shouldn't be pressing his younger sibling's buttons, but it was too entertaining not to._

 _"Use yourself as an example. I seem to recall a certain someone destroying half the throne room over a mere toy." Frieza spat, not liking in the least that his brother had seen it fit to undermine him once again._

Adalina chuckled at the memory. In the end she had played peace-maker between the two, much to the tyrant's disdain. He seemed to tense whenever she addressed Cooler, about anything. It was beginning to irritate her, just who did he think he was, controlling who she interacted with?

That reminded her, she still had to ask about Kain, she had certainly not forgotten his behavior yesterday. It nearly sparked another flare of anger within her, but she had learned to be patient with him over the years. He had his reasons for everything, infuriating as they may be.

His capricious nature never ceased to amaze her. On most days he kept a face of bored contempt, or one of mild amusement, but it was like walking on egg-shells around him. One wrong statement or action and he would pounce, jumping down her throat, threatening her and reminding her of her place.

Though, when they had first met, his actions hadn't been forced or overly dramatic, not like they were now. It was like he was _purposefully_ trying to push her away, like he had to constantly remind her, or perhaps himself, of where they were suppose to stand in their relationship. She saw right through his guise, in the subtle smiles that would occasionally grace his lips, or the teasing tone he would adopt when joking with her. He had spent his life keeping people within arms length, never close enough to get inside his head. He was alone, by his own design, and it was clear that it was his weakness. Adalina had remedied that, she would be there, no matter what happened.

Even if the whole universe turned against him, she would stand by his side, just to show him that someone cared, that having friends wasn't a handicap, rather an enhancement. But, there was still that small part of her that yelled out its distaste, screaming at her that it was all a game to him. That he was merely manipulating her for his amusement.

"Are you planning on staying in there all day? You can't be _that_ dirty, it's your second bath within an eight hour period!" Frieza's voice was muffled through the door, his impatience clear.

Adalina started, too deep in her thoughts to register who it was for a moment,

"Don't sneak up on me!" she yelled over the roar of the water, having no other reply to his statement.

"Perhaps if you wouldn't spend your time procrastinating I wouldn't have startled you." everything was _always_ her fault. He could probably cut his own damn hand off and _still_ find a way to blame it on her!

She stamped the button that turned the shower off and stepped onto the cold tile floor, wrapping a towel around her. She wrenched the door open, and her gratification was instant. He stood in his final form, a pink dusting over his cheeks, signaling his embarrassment.

"Fine. If you're so intent on rushing me-"

"Put some damn clothes on woman!" he backed away from the door, allowing her to take in the extent of his form. He had on an unfamiliar set of armor, very regal in design, lacking the flashy pauldrons that usually adorned his shoulders.

"Nice armor." she said conversationally, marching past him to her personal closet, something Arctica made sure was constantly stocked with fashionable items. A lot of them were long gowns that the Zandonian never had an occasion, nor want, to wear. They were flashy and impractical should a battle arise.

"I was merely trying it on. It's built stronger than my other set, and can withstand the type of strain this form brings." he answered in a bored tone.

"Are you planning on staying in that form more often then?" she questioned, pulling out a long-sleeved white sweater and black pants, with assorted under-garments.

"Not in an actual fight, no. Lower creatures do not deserve to see me in such a form." she could practically hear the egotism dripping from his voice.

She sighed and walked back into the bathroom, pausing at the door for one final rebuttal,

"So I guess that means I'm not a lower creature then, right?" she smirked, shutting the door once more.

He had no response to that. Though he never explicitly stated he thought of her as below him, he acted like it. He didn't treat her as an equal either, not always. She was an outlier for him. On one hand, he allowed her teasing jests and infallible attitude, but on the other he also kept her disciplined, and reminded her of how easily he could dispatch her. Though his heart wasn't in it at all.

He scowled, not understanding how he had become so close to someone so opposite of him.

Adalina was a ray of sunshine, forgiving and some-what naive. She tried to see the good in everyone, no matter the circumstances. It was what lead them to the position they were in, after all. But he was the complete opposite, suspicious of every one, holding others with contempt, and showing absolutely no mercy. That was perhaps their biggest difference. He couldn't afford such a luxury, not in the business he was in. He had to stay strong enough so that no one ever opposed him, because there were many who would have his head, given the chance.

But, Adalina, she thought that niceties and _pity_ were admirable in a warrior, that they would pull through in the end where as ruthless indifference would not. What an ignorant way to view things, didn't she understand that the universe was cold and uncaring, not at all worried if she spared the lives of her foes, or tried to 'redeem' beings such as himself. Didn't she understand that compassion got people killed?

A memory flashed to the surface of his mother, broken and bleeding,

 _'I will spare you, but you must never come here again.'_ the words that had haunted him for the entirety of his adult life rang loud in his ears.

He sighed, shaking his head of the thought, he just couldn't bend her to his will, force her to see the world as he did, and he wasn't about to reveal any of his past to do so. He wasn't keen on the idea of having someone he couldn't easily dispose of. The girl was a liability for him, and yet, try as he might, he just couldn't shake her.

He clenched his fists, the action as natural to him as breathing, he never thought he would be in such a position.

The door opened to reveal Adalina fully dressed, tousling her damp hair as she walked towards him. She placed a precarious hand on the back of his chair, looking at his work,

"Whatcha' doin'?" she questioned childishly.

Frieza could smell her strongly, as was the usual whenever one exited the bath. It was a comforting smell that reminded him of a misty rain forest, exotic but not unpleasant in the least, and it reminded him of how vulnerable he was around her, of how she managed to weaken his defenses time and time again,

"Work, a concept that you're unfamiliar with." he snidely shot back.

She leaned up, hands on her hips, and a pout on her face,

"Why do you always imply that I'm lazy? I do just as much as you do, and I even do your job for you on occasion!" she knew that he was trying to get a rise out of, but damn it he knew exactly _how to._

"Because you make it far too easy to rile you up." he smirked, "You're easily manipulated, so to speak."

Adalina's breath caught a bit at that, something about the words stirring an apprehensive feeling in her. She shook her head and took a seat on the bed, choosing to instead change the subject,

"Can we talk?" she asked cryptically.

Her tone sparked a foreign feeling in him, one he didn't like at all, prompting him to turn in his chair and face her fully,

"You have my attention." even now he sounded pretentious, typical.

"That man yesterday, who was he?" she chose her words carefully, trying as best she could to dodge his explosive anger.

He sighed irritably, knowing this conversation would have arisen sooner or later. He had no idea how to tell her something of the nature. He could very well kill the man, and yet, he truly couldn't, not with out consequences. She was sure to see him as weak, or moronic,

"He's a noble, and his father is on the council. He is an insufferable twit, who can't keep his hands to himself. I don't know how many women he's ensnared, whether by force or charm matter not. There are a lot of things I condone but _rape_ is a bestial act only fit for scum like Saiyans. Being driven by such base needs is deplorable. He gets away with whatever he wants because his father is an old member of this society, and Arctica would have to jump through hoops to get him removed from the council, and until such a time comes, I cannot lay a hand on him for fear of causing a political uproar. Even I am not outside of the law on this planet." he explained as if talking to a petulant child, though his anger was evident, "I do not want you near him, or even speaking of him. Do you understand?"

Adalina was shocked, to say the least, she had expected all sorts of things, but _that_ certainly wasn't it. Though, she wasn't entirely surprised, the Arcosian had given off a very creepy vibe.

"Oh, I understand." she replied, he was only looking after her, in his own twisted way, "But there was no need to be so violent about it, you could have asked nicely." she crossed her arms over her chest defensively.

"I've told you many times, I do not ask nicely, I do what I see fit."

"Of course you do." she sighed.

A knock at the door interrupted the two,

"You may enter." the tyrant called out, with the pretentious air of a prince.

Cooler entered, face stoic as usual,

"Arctica wants us down for dinner in five minutes." he informed, "You should probably dry your hair." he gently chided the Zandonian.

 _Click_.

It was as if she could hear something snap within Frieza, the gears in his head spinning so hard they nearly produced steam.

He had put up with Cooler all day and it was beginning to grind on his nerves. He thought himself so entitled, even though he was the weaker one. Frieza couldn't count how many times he had beaten his older brother into submission, and yet he still had the gall to think that they were equals, that there was any familial bond left with them. That he could just _order_ his subordinates around,

"Cooler, how many times have I told you not to address my soldiers." he growled indignantly.

The older Arcosian did a double take at his younger brother's vicious remark. He had always been territorial, but not to this extent.

"Thank you for your concern, Cooler." Adalina politely replied, "And you," she pointed at Frieza, standing as she did so, "need to stop controlling who I speak to. I can understand Kain, but your brother means me no harm."

 _'Uh oh.'_ Cooler thought, knowing a fight was bound to break out, and he'd been caught in the middle of it. He had caught the name of Kain come from her lip as well, something he would ask about later.

"Do not forget who _owns_ you. Though it may seem as if you've gotten a shred of freedom, make no mistake, you will continue to do as I say and you will not question me." he spat.

"Brother, you're being irrational." the darker Arcosian had his hands out, face still stoic.

"I don't trust you, not one bit, not after you stole Salza away from me." he crossed his arms.

"Just as you stole Jeice from me." Cooler replied blandly, "I don't think I could steal her away even if I wanted to."

"He's not wrong." Adalina shrugged, "Come on, lets just go eat, you're making a fool out of yourself." she instantly regretted her wording as Frieza stood, fists clenched.

"I'm what? Care to repeat what you just said?" his voice had grown deadly, something she heard rarely anymore. But she wouldn't back down, never again. She was merely trying to help him, and damn it, she cared about him.

"You don't have to be so paranoid all the time, he's _your brother_ for goodness sake, he only said a simple sentence to me. I don't know what has you so on edge but I hope you deal with it before it gets us both in trouble." she turned to walk out the door, but a hand on her wrist stopped her.

"You seem to be under the impression that you can speak to me as if we're equals. You'll not walk away from me, not without my permission."

She growled, a low intimidating sound, after all these years and he still had the nerve to order her around like one of his little foot stools. She had thought they were making head-way, but she was apparently wrong. She was almost fed up with trying, it was obvious to her that he didn't _want_ to change his ways, and that made him no better than his despot of a father.

In a brutal show of frustration she wheeled on him, throwing a right hook and catching him in the jaw with enough force to snap his head back. She had never, _ever_ gotten violent with him with out him first initiating it. She lowered her hands, a glare still plastered on her face,

"You're just like King Kold, you cold hearted, pretentious, coward of a man."

Frieza looked at her with something she couldn't discern. Admiration? Annoyance? Disbelief?

"E-excuse me?" he stammered out, no one had ever had the gaul to hit him, and then insult him, and if they had, they weren't living any longer.

Cooler was wide-eyed as well, jaw slack as he stared on. Surely he would have a body to clean up.

"Tell Arctica I won't be down for dinner, I need to walk." Adalina quickly left the room, selfishly leaving the eldest prince to deal with the aftermath of what she had done.

The tyrant had shaken out of his stupor and was rubbing his jaw gingerly, he would no doubt have a bruise. It had been a sucker punch, and he hadn't been prepared at all, and for some reason, he wasn't mad about it. No, perhaps he was too shocked to be angry. He actually felt as if he respected the woman a little more, perhaps she wasn't a loss cause?

"If that woman ever left your side, it would be no ones fault but your own." Cooler took a deep breath, "You always push people away Frieza, and get angered over such trivial things, can't you see that father isn't around to instill that any longer. You're allowed to feel affection for others, you're allowed to treat others as equals, it's what makes a strong leader. Your callous nature will be your downfall, Brother."

Frieza growled, his irritation finally bubbling to the surface,

"Get out." he commanded.

"Arctica's still expecting you down, she'll come find you, you know she will." the older Arcosian called as he exited the room, leaving his brother alone to decompress.

She had hit him, his sickeningly sweet, cheerful second who wouldn't hurt a fly if it didn't hit her first, had actually raised a hand towards him in anger. She had been trying all these years to change him, but perhaps he was rubbing off on her as well.

He smirked, but something still felt off, why had he gotten so angry? Was he jealous, territorial, both? He knew good and well that his brother was simply being courteous, but their relationship had declined into one of rivalry and hatred, that little things were capable of making him paranoid.

He shook his head, he analyzed himself far too often for comfort.

* * *

She needed time to cool off after the initial shock of what she had done had worn off. She was still livid at the tyrant. How dare he? After all they had been through, he still gave her the cold shoulder. It was if no matter how many bricks she removed, he just kept putting stronger ones back.

And his little stunt today only proved that.

Adalina growled through clenched teeth as she flew through the air, in no true direction. She just needed to _go_ somewhere.

"You idiot." she muttered to herself, "Can't you see I'm trying? Don't you understand that I care for you? Not everyone's out to get you, not everyone's so vindictive." her words were lost on the wind as her eyes began watering. She tried to blame it on the cold weather, but she knew that she was frustrated, and with frustration came tears.

She had decided her own fate all those years ago, and had come to terms with the fact that he would never return her feelings. It wasn't a part of her plan, and it hadn't mattered. But just when it seemed that perhaps he did think of her in the same light, he had to snuff it out and push her away.

Keep her at arms length, just as he did with everyone else.

But damn it, she wasn't 'everyone else'!

She had seen him at his worst, and been there for his best. They shared a room! And she had realized years ago that the reason he didn't give her her own, was because he _enjoyed_ her company. He was a lonely, bitter, paranoid, capricious mess because of the life he chose to lead.

 _'Because of the life that was forced on him.'_ a small voice whispered in the back of her mind. That one thought was enough to sober her, her anger melting away and leaving a new emotion.

Guilt.

She had compared him to someone he hated.

His father was the one who forced him to cast away his emotions, to build an impenetrable wall that no one could ever fathom to take down. But there was no way that was the full story, something else had to have happened to spur such things, like a catalyst.

It was incomprehensible, what one would have had to endur to become such a monster. Someone who only cared for themselves, as if it was the only person they could trust.

He was utterly alone. Even through the smiles he shared with Polarra, the jests he endured from Arctica, Cooler's brotherly remarks, and her own futile attempt to _fix_ him.

They were all lost on deeply routed ideas, that were nearly impossible to extinguish.

What a miserable existance.

She stopped in her flight and took a deep breath, finding that the air around her was significantly colder than it had been earlier; just how far had she flown?

The snow she had been mesmerized by earlier was now coming down in sheets, ones that she couldn't see through. It was a blizzard, it would seem, and she was caught in the middle of it.

Her wet hair had long since frosted over, and was only serving to further her chill.

"Aghhhhh." she yelled frustration, she'd be damned if she got killed because of a little snow.

* * *

"Adalina won't be joining us." Cooler announced simply as he entered the room.

The older woman looked puzzled, and perhaps concerned,

"Why's that?" she asked.

Her questions were answered as Frieza, who had decided to make an appearance after all, walked into the room, a faint purple bruise lingering on his jaw. Arctica narrowed her eyes at him, but said nothing.

That boy, he would never learn.

"Frieza did you make Ada mad?" Polarra questioned innocently, "Because she flew out of here pretty fast."

Frieza sighed as he took his designated seat, to the right of Arctica at the head, across from Cooler who was seated next to the young Arcosian girl questioning him,

"I suppose you could say I did." he answered curtly, not feeling it was necessary to elaborate, especially not to a child.

Not wanting to cause any tension at the dinner table, Arctica tactfully changed the subject,

"How was your training today? I trust you were in good hands."

Polarra nodded happily,

"Ada is so cool mom! I didn't know she could transform, she looks way more awesome than those two." she tacitly looked at her two cousins, knowing they would bristle at the comment.

Arctica smiled, Cooler was constantly in his unreleased form to aid his younger cousin, and in hopes of attaining a new form, one that could help him control his younger brother. Frieza, however, didn't transform often, but Polarra had seen it plenty of times. Of course she'd be enthralled by anything new, especially coming from the woman she admired so,

"I saw, and I must say, I have to agree with you. Such a fierce warrior you have, Frieza, and pretty to boot." the older woman smirked behind her glass of wine, knowing what effect her words would have. Her nephew may pretend that the girl wasn't effecting him, and to everyone else, it may seem that way. But she knew, he was falling for her, slowly opening up to her. Adalina was strong and stubborn, two things Frieza despised, if only because they were traits that harbored defiance. And she had defied him many times, and he had allowed it. That alone was proof enough that he was at least too amused by the girl to dispose of her. It was much farther than any of his other relationships had gone, even if he didn't see it for what it was.

"My lady, I apologize for the interruption." a servant began as he walked into the dining hall, "But we are experiencing blizzard conditions currently, it is likely that the power will fail. Would you have me make preparations?"

"Yes please, thank you for telling me, Eis." she smiled politely as she watched him leave, "You'd better go out and find Adalina, she's never been in a blizzard before."

Frieza sighed, content to let the woman freeze a little longer,

"She couldn't have gone far, she's probably in the town somewhere." he answered nonchalantly, "She'll come back."

Polarra's face fell as she heard the conversation, a blue tinge forming across the bridge of her nose in shame,

"I..." she began, "I forgot to tell you something. Ada, she was actually flying north of the city when I saw her go, I figured I wouldn't tell you because she seemed mad and- I'm sorry." she explained sheepishly, her eyes down cast. It was life threatening to be caught in a blizzard, and the temperatures up north were too cold to be inhabitable, if she had gone too far.

The adults in the room had gone silent with the weight of her words. There was no way the tropically raised alien would survive long in conditons that could very well kill one of their own kind.

"I'll go find her." Frieza sighed heavily, "Perhaps she had enough sense to take her scouter but I doubt it." it would seem the woman was capable of causing him problems no matter what. She was in grave danger, due to her metabolic thermoregulation, such low temperatures could force her into a coma. Pathetic.

"I'll go with you." Cooler offered.

"No, you need to stay here in case neither of us make it back." he hated to admit it, but even he wasn't immune to the chilling temperatures the north had to offer. While their species had adapted to survive in the cold, he was still affected by extreme temperatures, and he was sure that the Zandonian woman would fair far worse.

Frieza walked into the foyer and opened the coat closet, grabbing a long black trench coat with a fur covered hood and a pair of gloves.

"Here, Frieza." Polarra held out his scouter, still feeling guilty about what she had done.

Frieza gave her a small smile,

"I'll bring her back. It wasn't your fault." he wasn't one for coddling the young girl, but she was obviously distraught, and he couldn't have that. It was no ones fault, but Adalina's, and perhaps his own.

The tyrant equipped the device, clicking a button to see if anyone would answer,

"Adalina, come in, if you can hear me you better answer." he spat.

Nothing.

"You can still use it to find her, Brother." Cooler offered, "If her power level hasn't dropped, she's still the second strongest being on this planet right now."

Frieza flipped his hood up and started towards the door, muttering about being inconvenienced and how he was going to punish her for being brash,

"Stay by your scouter, Cooler." was all he offered before walking out into the blizzard, harsh winds blowing snow into the building before he was able to shut the door.

It was desolate outside, and a bit eerie to boot. The only sounds were the howling wind and his own breathing. He recalled the time he had been stuck in such weather, though he hadn't gone far. His mother had come to his aid, chiding him on the dangers of being caught in a blizzard.

He clicked his scouter, the device lighting up and scanning for higher power levels. He nearly held his breath as he waited for the familiar beep to signal it had locked on, and when it did, he instantly took off towards it. She was far up north, almost to the mountains it would seem, and her power level was way lower than it should have been.

"Insolent woman." he mumbled as he flared his aura, the snow melting away from him.

The cold only seemed to drain her energy the longer she stayed in it, making her sluggish and unable to do much other than levitate, and even then she was beginning to grow weary. There was no way she would be able to make her way back to town, and no way that any one would come looking for her. It was likely that blizzards were every day trivial happenings for the Arcosians. Not something to worry about.

She had been stupid, and had let her emotions get the better of her, something that didn't happen often. She had snapped at him, and if she made it back alive, she was sure to get an ear full, and probably a demotion.

Her aura sputtered out, no longer able to keep the worst of the cold from her, and she found herself dropping, completely exhausted. She was going to die, from something as _stupid_ as exposure. She had faced countless enemies, and stared down the God of Destruction himself, and yet, she was going to die, from _snow_.

How pathetic.

He watched her drop and hastily moved to catch her before she disappeared into the deep rifts of snow. Her eye-lashes were nearly white and her lips had taken on a blue tinge. Her hair was frosted, and if it weren't for the slight rising if her chest, he'd think her a corpse.

'You're not dead yet, are you?" he questioned in a condescending tone as he cradled the woman.

Adalina opened her eyes weakly and was surprised, and oh so thankful, to see piercing red orbs staring back at her. She didn't even realize what she was doing until her arms were wrapped snugly around his neck and shoulders,

"I'm sorry. I was an idiot." she always apologized, even if things weren't her fault. Even if she worked herself up, and accepted that he wouldn't change or let her in, she still ran right back to him.

"There's no time to discuss that, lets get back before we both freeze to death."

Adalina released him, and tried to muster up enough energy to fly, but found that she couldn't,

"I've completely used up my reserves." she sheepishly commented, smiling up at him.

He tightened his grip on her and began flying back towards the castle,

"Can't you do anything by yourself?" he was pretending that he wasn't having any trouble but the cold made him sluggish. Though, she would need to be looked at when they returned. He knew that her species was capable of switching between exothermic regulation and endothermic regulation, but the way her skin felt, was just _wrong._

She ignored him as she snuggled into his warm coat, trying to prevent any of her extremities from falling off, though the air was rapidly becoming warmer. It was at times like these where he found himself vulnerable to her charm, when she wasn't trying, when she wasn't berating him on his callous nature, when she wasn't giving him unwanted pity. She was able to work her way past his defenses by merely _being_. And that thought scared him, he hated things that he didn't have absolute control of, for they were things that could get him killed.

And yet,

"I've decided that you're a grown woman capable of making your own decisions." he commented offhandedly, "But do not ever lay a hand on me again, understood? Because next time I will not be so forgiving."

"Understood." she sluggishly replied, "And there's nothing wrong with confiding in me. I've made it clear that I will never leave your side, haven't I? You can just tell me if something I'm doing is buggin' you."

"Those closest to you, are the ones who have the most ammunition for your downfall." he recited something his father had once told him, "I don't need anyone."

"Yes, you do. Perhaps if you weren't so distrusting of people, you'd see the bigger picture. It's good to have allies, and _friends_. It instills a certain amount of honor, and even if the whole world turns on you, you'll at least have a few people you can count on. Not everyone has their own secret agenda, Frieza."

"Nonsense." was his only reply, but her words had had a certain effect on him. He knew that she would stand by him, no matter what, so perhaps it wasn't a bad thing to let her in? After all, every good king needed a steady queen by his side.

Adalina reminded him of his mother, in some ways, and anyone that was like the gentle queen couldn't be bad. But that was the problem, his mother had died, and it had left him unstable, unable to feel anything. And she had died, because of her compassion for another.

And if such a thing should happen to the woman he had come to care for, he wasn't sure if his mental state could handle it.

Perhaps these rumored Dragon Balls were capable of making multiple people immortal?

 _ **A/N: And there you have it, now, of course Frieza's plans are going to hit a bit of a stump since you know, all the stuff that happens on Namek, but I promise, they'll be a for sure couple after Namek, like, right after *wink wink* look forward to it. Now, I do have two little 'filler' chapters that I'll be uploading before the Namek saga begins. One covers Frieza's child hood, and the other cover Adalina's. I have both of them written, so you just tell me which you would like to see first and I'll act accordingly. Warning though, Frieza's does get a bit dark at times. Adalina's, eh, it's arguable I suppose. Oh, and would you like to see a Valentine's day special? Since this is suppose to be a romance story and all.**_

 _ **I was also wondering if anyone reading this is a beta, or knows one, or hell, I'd take an extra set of hands on this any day. I'm only one person, and I can only do so much so it would be helpful to have other people there to help flesh out this story. I really want it to be the best it can be, since there are a lot of Frieza romance fics that just don't quite hit the mark.**_

 _ **Now, onto some theory stuff and the like. The way I see it, Frieza is an absolute mess due to suffering he endured as a child, which will be covered in his special chapter. He has a hard time letting anyone close to him, because he's grown up thinking that everyone would be after such a ruthless leader. He never really minded it, until Adalina showed up and threw a wrench in his ideologies. In short, he doesn't think true affection is possible anymore, because the Universe is too cruel a place. He's extremely sadistic, that, paired with extreme pessimism and paranoia, doesn't make the happiest combo if you feel me. But we're slowly fixing that :) But still, they're both in a power struggle, trying to mold one another into what they see fit. Adalina is more of a gentle force, while Frieza is, well, Frieza. He'd love nothing more than to have her 'come to the dark side' so to speak.**_

 _ **And lets not forget the small amount of biology introduced in this chapter. Science, particularly animal science, is one of my strong suits, since I wanted to be a vet for the longest time. Frieza is most certainly cold-blooded, for all intents and purposes, but he can function in temperatures within varying degrees, making him a eurytherm, but he can also become homeothermic due to his ability to use ki, which can allow him to regulate his body temperature. I mean, he can survive in space, he can't be entirely helpless in the cold. Adalina is a bit of both, as, due to bradymetabolism, she can adapt to varying temperatures, but if the temperature goes too low she goes into a stasis-like state, sorta like hibernation. But she is also heterothermic because she can switch between being poikilothermic and homeothermic, and science stuff that you can google and read up on.**_

 _ **Oh, and if any of you are looking for a fic that focuses on Goku and his team redeeming Frieza, might I suggest reading Ryu no Ohi's Savior of Demons. It's got amazing writing, and in depth theories that I'm sure you would all love!**_

 _ **Lastly, a picture of Kain should be up on my dA: KuroKagamiImeji.**_

 _ **Thanks for reading!**_


	29. Lord Frieza: File 01

_File 01: Frieza, Prince of Arcos_

 _"Should you stagger, should you fall_

 _Remember this and remember them all_

 _You're a wretched design_

 _and this is all your fault."_

* * *

"Frieza dear, have you learned your name yet?" a distinctly feminine voice cooed affectionately at the small bundle gathered in her arms. Small pale hands reached out to grasp the delicate bauble dangling from her jeweled diadem, nearly within grasp.

"Of course he hasn't, he's not even a day old." a gruff male voice replied as he set a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Look, that's your papa." Orithyia babbled once more in the way that mothers did, "Kold, dear, have you seen Cooler anywhere? I'm sure it's fine for him to see his brother now."

It seemed the impatient boy had had the same idea as he sheepishly peeked through the arch-way of the nursery. His mother was seated in a rocking chair, with his father behind her, standing protectively, and lovingly. But that's not what he was worried about, no, he wanted to see what was in the white bundle his mother cradled.

"Don't stand there and stare, boy, it's unbecoming of an heir." Kold smiled at his eldest, knowing that the child was curious.

"Right." he put on a stoic face and marched out into the opening, right to his mother, "May I see him, er, or her now?" he wasn't entirely sure if he had a little brother or sister, but whatever the circumstance, he would love them no matter what, and protect them.

Orithyia smiled gently at her son and held the bundle out to him. Cooler nearly panicked, he'd never held a baby before! His mother noticed his abject distress and quietly guided his arms to properly support his younger sibling,

"His name is Frieza." she pronounced the name slowly so Cooler could learn it.

The crown prince grinned at his new brother,

"Hello Frieza, it's nice to meet you. I'll make sure nothing ever happens to you, got it? But you have to grow up and be strong too." he awkwardly cooed, not entirely sure how to talk to a baby.

Frieza's large red eyes welled up with tears as the unfamiliar face of his older brother filled his vision. He let out a a screech that nearly caused Cooler to drop him, not at all used to the high pitched, _irritating_ noise.

Orithyia gently took the child back and rocked him in her arms, telling him sweet nothings until he was silent once more.

"He's quite strong already, Cooler." Kold boasted, "He should do just fine."

The king had been thoroughly surprised to hear that his infant son's power level rivaled his lower ranked soldiers. It was unfathomable, with that much power the boy could grow up to be one of the fearsome rulers in the galaxy. It was no doubt he had inherited his own mutant genetics, but he feared what would happen if he had the same condition as his mother.

While his wife had long since grown old enough to control her power properly, growing up had been miserable for her and those around her. Children were unstable to begin with, and pair that with being unable to transform and put a cap on her power, it was hectic.

"But you still have to watch out for him, alright?" the queen gave her eldest a sympathetic look. Cooler would more or so have to prevent his brother from causing any destruction with such a high power level, rather than keep him from harm.

"I will mama!" he beamed, tilting his horned head adorably.

"Now, I know you have yet to finish your studies for the day, young man." she leveled a tacit stare at him, knowing full well he had been sneaking away from his governess the entire day.

"Yes ma'am." he pouted in a puerile manner, before stalking off to find his teacher and recieve the day's work he had skipped out on. He had just been so excited to hear that his brother had finally come into the world.

"It's likely that Frieza will be much stronger than Cooler." she solemnly relayed her thoughts to her husband. It was possible the difference could cause a rift between her children, something she didn't want to happen.

"There's nothing wrong with a little rivalry." he shrugged, failing to see the problem, "And should the time come that Frieza sees himself fit to rule over his brother, the two can duel it out."

"Do you not think that it could ruin their relationship with one another?" she hesitantly asked, afraid to hear his answer. For all his lovable qualities, her husband was still a born and bred warrior.

"Are you not stronger than your older sister?" he questioned knowingly, "You're still close."

She sighed, giving a nod,

"I suppose you're right, but when we were children it was important to us. We fought constantly."

"And you grew out of it, just as they will."

A cloud passed by the sun outside the lone window in the nursery, throwing the room into desaturated shades of grey and only further adding to the sickening feeling Orithyia had in her stomach. She would go to whatever lengths necessary to keep her family happy and healthy. No matter what.

* * *

The sound of pattering footsteps filled the halls of the palace boisterously, alerting all those within ear shot of the two prince's antics. It was adorable, for most, but some of the weaker servants found themselves ducking into side rooms to avoid the powerful children. Even in a completely sealed state, Frieza was much stronger than any of them. And he was only fifty years of age, barely older than a toddler!

"Frieza!" Cooler, the nearly teen-aged boy, shouted after his younger brother as he scampered through the halls. The little brat had a habit of taking off with his sword and running off to some unknown corner of the palace to cause mayhem. It was irritating, to say the least, and who knew what would happen should the child actually manage to cut himself. His parents would lecture him until the sun came up, no doubt!, "How are you so fast, you can barely walk properly! Especially with how short you are." he mumbled the last part in agitation.

The little Arcosian giggled, dragging the long sword behind him so that the sheath scraped along the floor. The noise was grating, and he reveled in the glares he received from servants he passed. He knew he was being a little tyrant, and he didn't care, it was funny watching his brother traipse after him. it was like a more exciting version of tag, in his eyes.

"You have to catch me big brother!" he called out, his voice high and childish.

"You are such a brat!" Cooler shouted, gaining on his brother.

The two were abruptly halted in their fervent chase when Orithyia appeared to block their wayward path. She had a small smile on her lips almost belaying amusement, but the boys knew that her crossed arms meant business,

"Boys, what have I told you about running in the halls?" she questioned sternly, "Someone could get hurt."

Cooler gave his brother a tacit glare, hands on his hips,

"We wouldn't have caused so much ruckus if this one." he roughly poked his brother in the temple causing him to wince, "hadn't thought it amusing to take my sword."

"Frieza, is this true? Have you been running off with your brother's belongings again?" she settled t _he look_ on her youngest son, causing him to squirm under her parental gaze. He looked up at her in the cutest way possible,

"Yes mama, but I only wanted to have fun, I didn't mean any harm." he was guilty, that much was for certain. He didn't want his mother to be disappointed in him.

"I know you didn't, but let's not do it again, okay?" she looked to both of her sons, trying her best to treat them equally, because she knew that in the near future, there would be a large power gap between them.

The two boys nodded in unison, hoping to placate their mother for the time being,

"We'll be more careful mother." Cooler affirmed, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder and squeezing ever so slightly, "Right little brother?"

"Yes mama, we'll be careful."

The elegant woman smiled and sauntered off to her original destination, giving the rambunctious boys one final look before disappearing around a hall way. The younger Arcosian shrugged his brother's hand off and turned to glare at him,

"You're no fun, Cooler." he pouted as he handed the decorative sword back to his older brother.

Cooler snatched the object away from his brother and fastened it to his belt once more,

"It's not about having fun, Frieza. You're a prince, and sooner or later you're going to have to grow up and act like it." he said it with love of course, he only wanted the best for his younger sibling, "Mentioning that, shouldn't you be with your governess right about now?"

He sighed and rolled his eyes at his brother's oppressive nature,

"Yes, mother." he sarcastically replied, a trait he had no doubt learned from the very woman he was comparing his older brother to.

The little Arcosian stomped away, heading for his private classroom. He had his head held high and his tiny armored arms crossed-he didn't need to go to class! He could already read much better than the other noble children, and he had used that skill to educate himself in the palace's expansive library. He could be doing much more productive things with his time, like scaring the maids.

Ah, yes, he rather enjoyed hiding behind closed doors and popping out at the vulnerable women. Of course he also enjoyed the cooing that accompanied it when they would find his childish antics 'adorable'.

"Frieza, I trust you're behaving?" his father's booming voice interrupted his thought process as he was once again stopped in the hall, "And I also hope you're heading to your lessons, which you're late for."

"Yes papa, Cooler was bothering me." he lied smoothly, using his brother as a scapegoat to avoid getting into any trouble.

Kold wasn't convinced for a minute, in fact he was sure it was the other way around with his boys, but children would be children, so he let it slide,

"Of course." his lilt suggested he didn't believe him, "You _never_ bother your brother."

"No, I don't." he agreed, even though he knew his father was being coy with him, "I'm a model child, or at least that's what my governess says." he smiled widely.

He gently pat his son's shoulder with his tail, as it was much easier than sitting on the floor to be able to even remotely reach his son. The boy was much shorter than his peers, but it didn't at all effect his power, he was a little machine when wound up, and had quite the temper.

"You should run along now, wouldn't want you to miss class, _again._ " he finished dryly as he nudged his son with the tip of his tail.

"Yes papa." he mumbled as he took off once more.

The hulking Arcosian continued on his trajectory to the training room. He trained a little every day so that he could stay far ahead of his son. Frieza was proving to be a powerful force, and it was glaringly apparent that the boy could become the most powerful member of the Kold family, even stronger than himself. He couldn't have that.

Orithyia coddled both of the boys, and to an extent, that worked in his favor, it meant that Frieza may never see the need to rebel against his father. But on the other hand, if the boys were too compassionate, they wouldn't be able to rule, they'd be eaten alive out there, so he tried to have a healthy dosage of both sides. Frieza's power could be honed into a deadly sword, one that he could point at any enemy he desired. His empire would increase exponentially once his youngest was able to partake in the family business. Perhaps compassion had no place in a weapon?

He shook his head, they would do fine, his wife was a strong woman and handled herself well for all the mercy she gave to enemies. Not one person had been executed since she started over-seeing court affairs. He loved her compassionate nature, but he had a horrible feeling it would be the death of her.

* * *

"His idiotic sense of empathy is what almost got the both of you killed Orithyia!" Kold shouted, his voice was muffled through the thick doors of the throne room, but the two Arcosian children could hear every word clearly.

Cooler, now a teen, was nursing a cut on his arm, his face burning in shame. Frieza had his tail draped over the older Arcosian's shoulders, trying his best to comfort his distraught brother as they sat outside of the the room their arguing parents occupied.

"it wasn't your fault Cooler." he sighed, "Father, he's just worried. He almost lost you and mama, I'm sure it scared him." he wasn't sure what kind of logic the king was using, but it didn't make sense. Sure, Cooler had willingly opened the door for an assassin, and had trusted his honeyed words. But that had nothing to do with compassion or empathy, how was he suppose to know the well-composed and skilled man was out for blood? Perhaps his father was chalking it up to naivety?

"You will not treat our children like a bunch of weapons for you to terrorize planets with. You know I don't approve of how you run the organization in the first place, and I told you I didn't want either of them involved in the business until they were old enough to take over." she spat, her entire body trembling with barely controlled rage.

"Frieza just turned 100 and Cooler is 150, they're both old enough to join and hopefully learn a few things about how the universe truly works. There's no room for compassion in a kill or be killed world my dear and today only solidified my suspicions. Those boys are far too trusting." he yelled, it was way past the boys' curfew, there was no way they would hear him on the opposite end of the large palace.

"Are you saying that I _don't_ know how the universe operates Kold? Because I assure you I do, and I also know that teaching my boys a hint of mercy will get them farther than allowing you to beat it out of them." her voice was low and deadly, a warning sign.

"They have to be ruthless if they are to become warriors, do you think enemies will just bow at their feet because they're _nice_?"

"They wouldn't have enemies in the first place if they weren't tyrants like you!"

"They're royals and in this business they'll have enemies no matter what Orithyia! Starting tomorrow they _will_ be training under me and I will not go easy on them and there is not a damn thing you can do to stop me." Kold's voice had an edge of finality to it, leaving no room for argument.

Orithyia had had about all she could take. All the lessons she had tried to instill in the boys, null and void because her paranoid hulk of a husband had to have _someone_ to blame for almost losing his _possessions_.

Oh she was _**livid**_.

A loud crash was heard, surprising all who were watching.

Frieza and Cooler had opened the door a crack to peer in at their parents, morbid curiosity their driving force. Their mother had crossed the distance between their father and her and had grabbed him by the collar of his armor. She had held him in the air for a few moments, whispering something their sensitive ears could not catch, before throwing him through one of the walls in the throne room.

They both had a cold feeling churning in their stomachs, they had never seen their mother so angry in their lives, she was always calm and collected, caring and merciful. But this, this was terrifying, her power was unlike any they had ever seen, chaotic and so over-bearing they could _feel_ it. Feel every emotion running through her.

Arctica had come running as soon as she had heard the ruckus, still in her night clothes. She was glaring at the boys,

"Go to bed boys." she said sternly, "This will all be cleared up in the morning."

Her voice left no room for argument as the two brothers stood and scampered away, not particularly _wanting_ to see the after-math.

Arctica slowly stepped into the throne room, regarding her younger sister with caution as she stood in the center of the room, fuming. The air was thick with tension as she laid a gentle hand on Orithyia's shoulder,

"Calm down before you take this whole place down." she whispered.

Kold had pulled himself out of the rubble, his face pale but his expression stern.

"We can talk about this after we've both had a day to think it over."

Orithyia didn't bother replying as she left with a sweep of her dress, her sister hot on her heals. She couldn't believe how something so small had snow-balled out of control, but she had always known the seed of impression was there. He never did like her coddling the boys, but she was trying to raise them to be respected members of society.

Not feared tyrants.

Not what their father wanted them to be.

They would _not_ follow the Kold family legacy, she'd have to be killed to be stopped from ensuring that much.

 _ **A/N: Ah yes, Frieza was first, and yes, this is only the first part, you will get the rest of the story after the Namek saga, as I want to keep the manner of Orithyia's death a secret to both you, the readers, and Adalina. I really do love dramatic irony, and employ it often, but it just doesn't feel right in this sense. I want you to make the same connections Adalina does.**_

 _ **I'll be uploading Adalina's back story next week and then we'll be back on our regular schedule. This may seem boring to you, but it' super helpful for me, plus, I get extra time to work on the actual story ;)**_

 _ **The quote at the beginning is from a song called 'Hush' by Coheed and Cambria, my absolute favorite band of all time. They're an acquired taste, certainly, but nice for musical people.**_

 _ **Oh, and I figured I'd answer a single guest review here.**_

 _ **Ki Guy: I enjoy your continued support, but I don't think you read through my author's note completely, or perhaps I wasn't clear enough. Frieza does just fine in extremely cold temperatures, as I said, but, did you know that there are some areas of space colder than others? We learned all about it science class, it all really depends on your location to the nearest star. Arcos, the planet, and the space around it are all really cold. So it's possible for Frieza to die if he stays out too long, but we're talking hours upon hours. His only true worry about the snow storm was getting turned around and buried in the blizzard.**_


	30. Adalina: File 01

_File 01: Adalina, Warrior of Zandonia_

 _"You will shatter, you will fall,_

 _lending help as your world dissolves_

 _you can push on these walls_

 _but help wont hear your call."_

Hannelore had never been one for showing her emotions outwardly, had never really seen any point to it. Any empathy she lacked, was made up for by her loving husband, Avicus. But in times likes these, she just couldn't help but shed a few tears, and tremble at the news she had received. Her new born baby girl had been born prematurely, without a tail even, and it seemed she would not make it.

She cradled the small bundle in her arms, the child hadn't even cried since her initial birth, and it was becoming increasingly apparent that she was too weak to even try. Her lilac skin was much paler than her mother's, taking after her father, but it was still much too pale to be lively.

"Dearest, maybe it's not what fate had intended for us, perhaps the little one wasn't meant to be in this world yet?" Avicus placed a hand against his wife's cheek, gently swiping his thumb across one of the tears that had grown heavy enough to fall.

"Our fates are not predetermined, your life is what you choose to make of it." she retorted, the sentence had been her mantra ever since she was a young girl, rebellious and nonconforming to what society would have her become.

"Mom!" Krayton exclaimed as he ran into the nursery, a smile on his juvenile face, "Is my new baby brother here?" he had been hoping for another boy to rough house with, and teach how to fight.

Both of his parents gave him a solemn look, and it was only then that the usually observant young boy saw the tears in his mother's eyes, the tired look on his father's face. And noticed the unusual calmness his young sibling possessed.

"Son." Avicus bent down to his son's eye level, placing a firm hand on his shoulder, "Your sister, she-" he took a deep breath, trying to find a plausible way to explain the situation to one so young, so innocent, "she was born too early, she's very weak and we're not sure if she's going to make it through the night." his chest clenched painfully, but he had to be strong for his little man.

Krayton was young, but very mature for his age, something his parents often looked past. He knew what they meant, his sister was going to die, it would be a miracle if she lasted past the next hour, she was just too weak.

"What's her name?" he asked timidly, his voice trembling slightly as he cast his gaze to the floor.

"We haven't named her yet, did you have an idea?" Hannelore smiled at her son, offering him a shred of reassurance. They had neglected to name her, so that they wouldn't feel as attached, but truly, the bond was already there. The loss of a child was greater than any other.

"I-I like the name Adalina." he timidly replied.

Avicus inhaled shakily, putting on a smile for his eldest,

"I like the way that sounds, Krayton. What do you think dearest?" he turned to his wife, who in turn smiled and nodded.

"I like that." her voice broke as a new flood of tears ran down her cheeks, "I like that a lot."

Krayton looked up with new found resolve and placed his hands on his hips, the scene would have been comical if not for the circumstances.

"You hear that, Adalina? You have a name now, you have to move forward in your life, you can't give up. I went through all the trouble of thinking up a name for you so it would be a shame for it to go to waste." he nodded his head assertively, he had gotten rather loud in his musings, showing how devoted he was to the little bundle he had only just met.

Adalina stirred in her mother's arms, her eyes opening, if only slightly. Her bright yellow orbs filled with tears as she let out a cry, surprising her parents.

The worried family released a sigh of relief, smiling brightly,

"Yes baby, Adalina, cry your little heart out if it means you'll stay with us a while longer." Hannelore cooed, letting out a light hearted laugh through her tears, bouncing the small bundle up and down.

The child cried herself to sleep that night, and her parents knew they would get to see their baby girl grow up to be something great.

* * *

Adalina dashed through the front door of her house, her tiny legs carrying her at amazing speeds. Her head was adorably proportioned, almost seeming too big for her pint sized body. Her head of wavy blue hair fell delicately just below her ears.

"I'm gonna go play with Mayrista!" she added a little emphasis on the 'ista' part of her best friend's name, as she had just recently learned how to properly pronounce it.

Her mother was out in the garden, tending to her flowers,

"Don't be out too late." she called sternly, pausing her movements for a moment.

"I will mommy!" the little girl replied as she turned the corner of her house onto the street.

She always enjoyed playing with her friend, even if the little girl was constantly bed ridden. On the days when she couldn't come out, they would sit and talk or make crafts. She was assuming it would be another of those days, as May hadn't been feeling well the evening prior.

Adalina reached her destination in no time and was politely tapping the door with her pointer finger. A smiling face greeted her,

"Hello Adalina, how are you doing today?" Tyri, Mayrista's mom greeted happily.

"I'm fine Mrs. Yeodin, is May feeling well today?"

The older woman's smile dimmed momentarily before it was back, brighter than ever,

"No, I'm afraid not, but I'm sure she would enjoy your company." she opened the door, allowing the little girl entrance into the familiar home. She ran right to her friend's room, as she knew the lay-out of the house as well as her own.

Mayrista was sitting up in bed, her nose buried in some book or other. Her petite face popped up as she felt someone crawl onto the end of her bed. She smiled happily at her friend,

"Hey Ada." she pushed a delicate finger to the bridge of her round glasses, adjusting them to their original position. The young girl was darker skinned due to her heritage. Her family was from Xylen, a region in the south, giving her mother and father exotic accents. It was much different than anything in Ryaster.

"Hi May, how are you feeling today?" Adalina questioned sweetly.

"Just a little faint, nothing to worry about, I'll be okay." she paused, "Is your brother coming home today?"

The other girl nodded her head happily, excitement resurfacing as she thought of getting so see her brother for the first time in three years,

"He'll be home later tonight. If you feel up to it, you can come see him too." May was like another little sister to him after-all.

"I would love to." she smiled, "But first we have to decide what new adventure we're going to go on today. I think I feel well enough to at least go play on the lawn."

Adalina hopped up and offered a hand to her friend, pulling the frail girl up. She seemed stronger than she was yesterday so that was a good sign. Her friend was constantly sick and very weak. One would think it the other way around since Adalina was born prematurely, but the opposite was true. Adalina was very strong, while May was not.

The petite girl walked over to her closet and pulled out a sun dress with a cleverly cut hole for a tail. That was one thing that Adalina did envy about her friend, and every one around her. They had tails, long appendages that could be used for just about anything, like climbing trees or reaching tall shelves.

But she was grounded with only four limbs.

"Alright, lets head out." May called as she walked into the hall, "Mom, we're going out to the front, I feel better."

"Be careful you two!" Tyri called back, "And don't go anywhere besides here and Adalina's house!"

"Okay!" the girls called in unison before dashing out the door.

It was a humid day out, but not unpleasant. The powder pink sky was dotted with the occasional white cloud, and a gentle breeze tousled the golden grass. The girls took a seat on the ground and enjoyed the nice day for a moment before shooting ideas out,

"We could build a fort and stage a military operation." Adalina, ever the battle type suggested.

"Or we could build a castle and pretend to be princesses."

"Bleh" she twisted her features, "I don't want to be stuffy royalty."

"Well I don't want to stage a battle." May shrugged.

The two girls sighed and stared up at the sky. They lived far enough from any of the cities that the horizon seemed to dye into a deep blue at the very edge, and faint stars dotted the pink sky in beautiful clusters.

"Let's go to space." Adalina suggested, shooting up, "Or rather pretend to." she giggled.

"You know what, I like that idea." she stood and flattened her skirt out, Adalina following suit.

"Alright then, we'll name it the, uh, the Indigo!" Adalina stuck her finger in the air as if she had an epiphany, "Lead me to our supplies Captain." she said stiffly.

May giggled at her friend's antics before leading her off to the side of the yard, where all the boxes and scrap material were kept for her to play with. Immediately she spotted a shiny metallic box that was big enough for two to fit in. It was hollow and open on both ends, with rounded edges so as to not cut anyone.

"We shall commandeer that." May pointed to it.

"Roger." Adalina lifted the flimsy metal and dragged it into the yard before returning for more supplies.

"And this." May pointed to two triangular shaped pieces of card-board like material painted grey that they had used when they were pretending to be fish, "Ooo and these." she also pointed to two head sets that they had built from card-board when they were pretending to be race cars drivers.

Adalina scooped up the suggested supplies and walked back to their 'space-ship', May in tow. The little girl had a jar of adhesive and an old paint brush, prepared to attach their wings.

They quickly assembled their finds and crawled into the metal contraption,

"Krrr, come in Captain May."

"Krrr, I hear you Captain Ada."

"Krrr, Are we in orbit?"

"Krrr I'm afraid not."

Adalina suddenly threw her shoulder into the side of the space-ship,

"Krrrr! We're experiencing turbulence, I believe it's an alien invasion!" she shouted vehemently, really getting into her role.

"Yaaa, Ada!" May flailed, gripping onto her friend. She could tell it was going to be a rather _exciting_ trip into space.

It was a hours later when the girls had finally had enough of ther adventures and decided to just lay in the grass and talk until it was time for dinner and her brother's arrival. Dusk was beginning to fall, making the sky an inky blackness, with stars peeping through like pin-pricks in an old curtain.

"What do you think is out there?" Mayrista questioned, her hands behind her head as she stared into the sky

"Well, I mean, we know that there are other planet's and people out there, even if we've never seen any of them."

"Yeah, but other people have different agendas," she struggled to pronounce the larger word, "What if there are not so friendly people out there? What if aliens really do attack our planet?"

Adalina comicly held up a fist,

"Then I'll beat em' up! No aliens are attacking our planet, not on my watch!"

"I believe it too. You'll have to get big and strong, for the both of us." May smiled gently at her friend, knowing she would never be capable of fighting along side of her.

"I'll never let anything happen to you, I'll beat those stinkin' aliens up!" she shouted, a battle cry.

"What's this I hear about aliens?" a familiar deep voice called, as a head of shaggy blue hair appeared around the gate.

Adalina instantly recognized him and bolted, jumping up and tackling the teen, who fell over with and 'oof'.

"Krayton! I've missed you so so so much!" she cried into his shoulder.

May was standing before them, her hands behind her back as she watched the exchange. Krayton stood, his younger sister still dangling from his neck,

"I've missed you too, and you as well May. I trust you've kept this one out of trouble." he bent down and gave the other girl a quick embrace.

"Very much so, today we went to space and fought aliens." she smiled brightly.

"You did? How exciting." he smiled and sat his sister down, "Mom told me to come find you for dinner."

Adalina nodded,

"Okay." she hugged her best friend, "I'll see you tomorrow May!"

Krayton waved to the young girl before the siblings made their way back down the street,

"So, did you fight anything cool in te army?" Adalina questioned, a curious child.

Krayton's face fell a bit, but she didn't catch it. Oh the things he had seen, the things he had done,

"Oh, just some giant stags and things. I got you something, but you can't let mom and dad know I have it to you, alright?" he strategically changed the subject.

The little girl bobbed her head up and down enthusiastically, stopping in the street.

Krayton reached into his military jacket and pulled out a small knife, no bigger than the length of her hand,

"It's a blade made for petite women just like you. I want you to put it up, and only carry it when you don't feel safe, okay? I won't always be here to protect you, and should something ever happen, I want to be sure that you can handle yourself."

The little girl didn't quite understand the implications behind his words as she beamed,

"Okay! I'm hungry, let's go eat now!" she ran ahead of him, no tail to drag on the ground.

She was strong for her age, and he had no doubt, that in time, she would be much stronger than he.

She was destined for great things.

 _ **A/N: Man it's hard writing for other planets since I have to make up new animals and stuff. Bleh. Any way, this is only the first part of Adalina's story, the rest will come after the Namek saga like Frieza's.**_

 _ **A picture of Mayrista should be up soon-ish, I've just been really busy lately. Band and college and bleh. Good thing I already had this written.**_


	31. Chapter 27

_27_

 _Chapter Twenty Seven_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

The ship was absolutely bustling with busy soldiers as the time for their arrival drew closer. Adalina found herself training with some of the automated bots, avoiding the chaos in the halls-no way was she getting caught in the preparations. They were expecting to be on Namek for a while, and so they needed to make sure they had their own supply of resources, just in case the natives were not willing to provide.

The warrior had a light sheen of sweat on her lilac skin, her cheeks flushed with exertion as she dodged the high powered lasers with precise agility. She had decided that she needed to keep up with her tyrannical boss if she were to make any further progress with him. She didn't have a leg to stand on if he could still toss her around like a rag doll.

The bots suddenly stopped as the lights brightened,

"I certainly hope that you aren't purposefully avoiding your duties today." Frieza walked into the room, his horned head tilted with his arms behind his back, a smirk on his deep lips.

"I am." she replied, putting a hand on her hip, "They can manage just as well by themselves, Zarbon and Dodoria are helping aren't they?"

" _I_ would like you to do something." even though his tone was even and polite, she had known him long enough to catch the demanding undertone that left no room for debate.

"What?"

"Call in and check on our _precious prince_." he spat the words, "It's been nearly a month, he should be recovered, yes?"

Of course, he probably wouldn't want to even bother with the task, probably seeing it fit to just forget about him,

"Will do, but surely that's not the only reason you interrupted my training?" she arched a suspicious eye-brow, knowing he was going to try and reel her into doing something else.

Frieza smirked,

"I also need you to brief the Ginyu Force on their mission to planet Kirk, and tell them to remain on standby when they are finished, in case anything should go south on Namek."

Adalina glared at him, the eccentric group of fighters were notoriously flamboyant and irritating, the only reason Frieza kept them around was due to their incredible strength and team work,

"You're evil."

"Yes, people keep telling me that."* he chuckled, "Now, get to it, we haven't got time to dawdle."

Adalina heaved a sigh as she walked past him and into the hallway, headed to the communications room to make contact with planet 211. She did find it suspicious that they hadn't heard anything since she had initially dropped Vegeta off.

The room was utterly deserted as everyone was too busy running errands and preparing for arrival, they had their scouters should anything important need to be transmitted. Of course she could have used her scouter as well but it was all the way across the ship and she was feeling mildly lazy that day,

"Planet 211 come in, this is Commander Adalina speaking." she called as she put the head set on.

"We hear you Commander, what do you need?"

"I need to inquire about Vegeta, is he well yet?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end that worried her, something was certainly amiss,

"He's not with you?" the alien on the other end sheepishly replied.

"Why would he be? What's happened, where is he?" she kept her voice even, but inside she was nervous. Where was the prince at? He had a nasty habit of running off without telling anyone, surely he hadn't gone to Earth?

"He woke up nearly three weeks ago, apparently he healed faster than we thought. He said that Lord Frieza requested his presence on Namek..but perhaps he was conspiring to get the jump on you?"

Adalina clenched her fist, what a fool. She could only do so much to protect him, and trying to steal Frieza's wishes was a sure way to get himself killed, no matter what she said. He was no doubt trying to become immortal once more.

"Thank you." she removed the head set and thought of the best course of action. Should she tell Frieza? Of course there would be no hiding it from him, but perhaps she could curb his anger somehow? And maybe if Vegeta knew the reason that Frieza was hunting down the Dragon Balls, he would back down as well. After all, even though the prince was ruthless himself, he could at least see the morality in restoring a destroyed planet.

Cui had heard the entire exchange as he sat outside the room, his scouter tuned into every word that had been exchanged. He had been waiting years for Vegeta to slip up, so that he could finally put an end to his existence. He even had leverage against Adalina, knowing the commander, she would most likely omit the information she knew when speaking to Lord Frieza. He could get her into trouble.

The Zadonian exited the communications room, a conflicted look written plainly on her face,

"Hi Cui." she waved, "Bye Cui." she called as she quickly passed him, not having any time for conversation as she walked to where the Ginyu squad would be, no doubt flaunting their power.

Cui scowled as he watched the bubbly warrior walk by, oh yes, he would get her into quite the bind. He snickered as he walked in the direction of the throne room, already thinking of the ways he could twist the situation in his favor.

Adalina continued on her way to the common room where the soldiers usually hung around, if they had free time. She hadn't even gotten into the actual area before she heard the obnoxious voice of Captain Ginyu blaring loud above all the others. She pinched the bridge of her nose and heaved a sigh before pushing into the crowd of mildly disgusted and intrigued soldiers,

"Captain, I assure you, you don't have to flaunt your status every time you visit." she called out.

The group instantly stopped their posing and turned to her, each of them wearing various emotions. Ginyu smiled and turned to fully face her,

"Commander, it's so nice to see you again." he placed a hand on her shoulder, "To what do we owe the pleasure?"

She knew good and well the Captain was just putting on a polite front because she was leagues above him. To be truthful, he hadn't liked her since she had laughed in his face when they had first met.

 _6 years ago..._

 _"Uh, they're what?" Adalina had a dumbfounded look on her face as she listened to Frieza explain the characteristics of his elite fighting squad._

 _"You heard me, I'm not repeating myself. They're a rather flamboyant group if you prefer that description." he snapped, his patience already thin from having spoken to the squadron earlier._

 _"Alright alright, I still can't believe you used the word 'fruity' in a sentence to describe a group of people though. " she snickered, earning a hard look from the tyrant._

 _"My Lord we have arrived." an unfamiliar voice called, catching her off guard, how could someone speak to Frieza with such arrogance and not fear for their life? She saw the prince visibly tense and release a sigh before turning to face the newcomer, an undreadable look upon his face._

 _"Hello Captain Ginyu, I trust your arrival was smooth enough?" he was being polite?_

 _"Yes sir, we had no problems whatsoever." the alien's skin was nearly the same shade of purple that she herself adorned, "Are we finally getting to meet your fabled second in command?" he boomed as he shot a look at her. It almost felt offensive, as if he didn't believe she could be strong enough to stand at Frieza's side._

 _"That is correct." Frieza replied, holding a hand out towards her, "I'll allow her to introduce herself." always avoiding having to say her name, she sighed internally before putting on a smile._

 _"My name is Adalina, I hail from Zandonia, it's nice to meet you."_

 _Now, she had totally expected a resounding, nice to meet you, and then and individual introduction from each of the members, but something totally out of the ordinary had ocurred instead._

 _The group of five suddenly broke into some kind of formation, posing as they shouted their names,_

 _"And together we are, the Ginyu force." she was trying her best not to laugh as she looked over to Frieza. He glared at her but she could see the subtle twitching of his eye that meant he was trying not to say anything as well._

 _She lost it, chuckling loudly,_

 _"I'm sorry I just, I've never seen anything like it." she choked out, "It's so unique! And Jeice, it's good to see you again, I'm glad you're doing something productive."_

 _The Brench stiffened as she called him out by name, he remembered being terrified of her when they had first met, and her power had only grown._

 _"Are you mocking us?" Ginyu growled, not one to be taken lightly, "We've worked very hard on our routine."_

 _Adalina stopped laughing ad regarded him with a careful eye,_

 _"I'm not mocking you, I'm merely amused at your display. I'm sure your enemies find you extremely intimidating in one sense or another."_

 _Frieza's eyes widened, it would seem he was rubbing off on her yet._

 _Adalina couldn't handle people who didn't take their work seriously, high power levels or not, they were childish and quite possibly, a liability._

 _"Don't take it personally Ginyu, she's still new to all of this, I'm sure she didn't mean to offend." Frieza placated the hulking captain, but he had been sold. The girl thought lowly of them because they liked to have a bit of style._

 _Anyone like that didn't deserve his respect, commanding officer or not._

"Do you need me to repeat any of that?" Adalina questioned, they shook their heads, "And you must absolutely remain ready to strike at any given moment, should anything go wrong while we are on planet Namek, understood?"

"Understood." Ginyu replied, for as much as he didn't like the girl, she knew how to command respect, after all, she had earned it from Lord Frieza himself. He hadn't respected her in the beginning, but now, they were more like colleagues, colleagues who didn't like each other, but they put on a smile and worked together none the less.

"We'll be waitin' forever then cause' Kirk won't give us any problems." Recoome replied, the big oaf had never been too smart, but he was strong and that was all that mattered she supposed.

"Yeah, but that's okay cause' we can just relax for a bit." Jeice replied, nudging Berter, "I know you've been dying for a sundae."

Adalina sighed, they were too non-nonchalant about things, and it would be their down-fall no doubt. She knew she shouldn't be so spiteful, but the Ginyu squad stirred something in her that made it impossible to take them seriously.

"I hope planet Kirk has a library." Guldo commented.

"You better be on your way then." Adalina stood, "Try not to have too much fun." she threw over her shoulder as she walked away, towards the throne room.

Now came the hard part of her day, trying to convince Frieza not to kill Vegeta. It was almost comical because on most days, she could actually put that on her schedule as a daily occurrence.

She had a bad feeling about their endeavor on Namek, and as history would show, her instincts were usually correct. She only hoped they could deal with whatever problem should come their way, and that it had nothing to do with the Saiyan Prince.

The familiar door hissed open and she stepped inside, something she had done many times. Frieza always knew when it was her, because she didn't bother to knock, not that he minded any longer.

"How was it?" he questioned snidely.

"Well, Ginyu still hates me, and they're all still overly fruity." she sighed as he turned towards her in his hover pod, his head propped up on his hand. He had been waiting on her, and something about his look made a cold weight settle in her gut.

"And what of Vegeta?" he was trying to keep his voice even, as he already knew what had become of the prince, thanks to Cui. He studied her, looking for any hint of insubordination, though he wasn't entirely sure of what he would do if she lied to him.

"Ah, well, you see." she fiddled with the edge of her armor, "He apparently woke up three weeks ago and booked it to Namek, though by my calculations, he should not arrive before us, he won't even have a chance to get the Dragon Balls, if that's what he's after." she told him the truth. He had expected her to lie to save the little monkey, but she had given him the real story, "Please, when he does show up, let me handle it."

Frieza scoffed,

"No, you've coddled him for far too long, and what difference has it made? He's an adult now, Adalina, he's capable of making his own decisions, and he has decided to turn against me. I will not have it any longer. When he lands, Cui will intercept him. From what I understand, the two have had a long standing rivalry, so it's only fair."

Adalina's eyes widened, but she didn't argue with him. How could he have not realized what he'd done? Cui and Vegeta were no longer evenly matched, no, Vegeta had gotten thoroughly defeated on Earth and as his Saiyan ancestry would hold, he went through Zenkai. His was many times stronger than he had been.

"You know what, you're probably right, but if Cui can't handle him, I will." she said with an edge of finality. She would fix this, no matter what.

"I'm glad we could finally see eye to eye on that particular subject." he replied, but he was still suspicious. He could see the gears turning in her head, and knew she was planning something. He cared deeply for her, but she could be an absolute nuisance at times.

"Attention all residents, we will be entering Namek's atmosphere shortly, please make sure you are fastened to something!" one of the ship's pilots called out over the intercom.

Meanwhile, two other ships barreled towards the same planet, with the same goals in mind, to obtain the Dragon Balls. As story would have it told, these occupants were about to engage in the fight of their lives, but perhaps the kind hearted Zandonian would have something to add in that respect?

Only time would tell.

 _ **A/N: *This is actually a quote from one of my other fave anime, so if you can guess it, all the internet cookies for you, and maybe even a shout out.**_

 _ **Yes, the Namek saga is finally upon us, and with it, a whole lot of changes from what's canon. I am currently re-watching the Namek saga episodes, so that I keep every thing within a sound time-line, but of course, Adalina's presence changes quite a few things. And for those of you who are wondering, yes, Frieza is lying to her, he isn't gathering the Dragon Balls to bring back a destroyed planet, he wants them for immortality, but she doesn't know that. This arc is really going to test the limits of their relationship, because a lot of deciet is going to be happening.**_

 _ **Oh, and I've drawn a picture of Adalina and Frieza as children, which should be up by the time this chapter is up, maybe a little after? My dA: KuroKagamiImeji**_

 _ **Thanks for keeping up with my insanity guys!**_


	32. Chapter 28

_28_

 _Chapter Twenty Eight_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

Landing, as always, was smooth sailing, encountering no problems or resistance from the natives. The Namekians were a peaceful people from what she understood, and would no doubt only use volatile force after they had thoroughly assessed the threat.

Frieza was holding a short meeting in the main speaking room of the ship before sending the soldiers out on their assigned duties, and Adalina was right next to him on the raised platform, ignoring the occasional trailing glance,

"...If any threats should arise, as in, higher power levels, your superiors may send you out with their discretion but other than that no one is to leave the ship unless given explicit permission. I want to get this over with as quickly as possible, which means I will be retrieving the artifacts myself. Stay here and guard the ship." his eyes narrowed, "If any of you step out of line and jeopardize this mission you will meet a fate far worse than death."

That was one thing she couldn't iron out of him, holding his power over people, and threatening to end their life if they disobeyed him, it was just how he was. She couldn't complain much though, his scare tactics worked well, and they rarely had any issues with insubordination.

The meeting ended just as quickly as it had began, the soldiers shuffling out of the room and to their stations, Frieza and Adalina merely observing the situation for a few moments. Zarbon glanced up and caught sight of the two, a smirk touching his lips for the briefest of moments. They were obviously smitten with each other, even if they wouldn't admit it,

The girl had done wonders over the years, managing to tame their Lord, if only a little. And it was obvious that he cared for her in his own twisted way, Zarbon had noticed the death glares cast at the backs of any soldier who dare get too close to the Zandonian woman.

It almost made him feel bad for keeping the secret from her, that Frieza was lying about the true use of the Dragon Balls. Lord Frieza had fed her some story about a destroyed planet, but he had told Dordoria and himself the true story. He was going to wish for immortality, and he wasn't going to show a shred of mercy on the peaceful planet.

She was to be kept completely in the dark about all of it though.

"You know, Frieza, I've been thinking.." Adalina began.

"You're capable of thought processes? This is news to me." Frieza replied, the corner of his lips turning up slightly.

"You've probably got a bad reputation still, most definitely in these parts since it's such a...secluded planet." she ignored his snarky remark entirely, needing for him to actually take her seriously, "Maybe I could retrieve the Dragon Balls? I'm sure if I asked nicely they would be willing to let us use them. I know you don't ask nicely, but there's a difference between you and I."

Frieza carefully considered her words and refrained from snapping at her. She could be right, perhaps she would be capable of gathering the orbs without any resistance? And if there was some sacred ritual to use them that only the natives knew it would do well to have them on their side, rather than threatening and killing their brethren until he got what he wanted.

Adalina watched emotions flicker in his eyes, short little flashes that no one else on that ship could even fathom to decipher. Suspicion, anger, contemplation, and finally realization. No matter how small the emotions, she could tell what he was feeling. It was an impressive feat in her book, as the tyrant was an impenetrable force to every one else.

"If you go alone, you'll be even more inconspicuous. I don't say this a lot, because it's hardly ever true, but you actually had a good idea for once." there it was, the look she got whenever he pushed her buttons. Her cheeks puffed out, if only slightly, her brows furrowed, and her hands went to her hips. He wasn't entirely sure why he enjoyed her in such a petulant state, but there was something about it...

"I have plenty of good ideas you're just too stubborn to use them because you think you're always right." she crossed her arms and turned her nose up, "Be glad that I even offered, I'm sure you were planning on killing any native that defied you, and then where would you be? They probably have a password or ritual that only they know of." she wasn't sure why she felt the need to get argumentative over the smallest things with him, perhaps she found the banter fun?

Frieza glared at her, how dare she? But really, it had become a common thing, for her to talk back to him,

"Might I remind you of who is stronger? I'll do as I please. If you're that torn up over it, perhaps I'll go with my original plan?" his face contorted into a sinister smirk, he had no qualms over slaying the natives, peaceful or not.

"Stop trying to turn this around on me. I'm only messing with you." she smirked, "I'll collect the Dragon Balls in record time, I promise. You just stay here in your castle _your highness_."

She waltzed out of the room, head held high and a smirk on her delicate features, not allowing him to refute what she had just said.

The tyrant sighed, allowing his frustration to leave him, there was no need for it, not with her anyway. She wasn't spiteful towards him, and her remarks usually came with a certain tone that allowed him to know she was merely jesting.

And perhaps she liked getting a rise out of him as well.

"Zarbon, could you come here?" Frieza called over his scouter.

The effeminate alien appeared in the door as soon as he was called, not one to keep the tyrant waiting for fear of the consequences that were sure to follow,

"Yes sire."

"Keep an eye on Adalina, and act if you see anything suspicious. I do not need her knowing of my true reasons, and I certainly don't need her conspiring against me." it wasn't that he didn't trust the girl, no he fully trusted her at present, but if she were to somehow learn that he had lied to her then they may have problems with insubordination.

"Understood. I'll wait a few moments before following her."

"Keep your distance, Zarbon, she's very perceptive." Frieza warned, "And report back to me frequently."

The green alien gave a nod before turning and leaving, heading for his new assignment, wary of the entire situation, if the two started fighting...surely this planet would not make it, and he along with it.

Frieza had been feeling anxious ever since they touched down, something just didn't feel right, the entire situation felt surreal and almost too good to be true. It was too easy to think that he could just land, gather the Dragon Balls, get his wish and move on, with out any conflict.

No, he had lived his entire life always having to fight for what he wanted, nothing ever came easy. He knew well enough that _something_ was bound to happen. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to take measures to prevent it. He had kept his second in the dark, and for good reason. She would no doubt make his life much more difficult if she knew.

Perhaps she was correct though, he kept others at arms length because he was suspicious of everyone, paranoid that they were all waiting for him to slip up so they could strike. But why was that so terrible? It's what had led him to destroy planet Vegeta, and that had been beneficial for the entire universe. When Beerus had originally instructed him to do so, he was reluctant, until he contemplated the benefits.

He wouldn't let a damn thing get in the way of his wish, no matter what. He would kill anyone who dare get in his way, no matter what _she_ said, because in the end it would benefit the both of them.

Once he was immortal he would never have to worry about anyone opposing him ever again.

* * *

The air-lock depressurized and she stepped out onto the green and blue planet, instantly feeling the heat. It wasn't nearly as humid as her home planet, but not quite a dry desert heat either, certainly somewhere in between. She was just glad she had tied her thick hair into a high ponytail.

"I'm glad Frieza didn't come out here, he would have been whining about the heat non-stop." she smiled as she held a hand over her eyes like a visor, blocking out the light from the two suns hanging above. The planet apparently had three stars, so that would mean the other was down. She found herself wondering if the planet ever went dark.

The landscape wasn't anything particularly exciting, as it almost seemed to repeat, but she couldn't deny that it was beautiful, and relaxing to boot. She only hoped that the Nameks mirrored their peaceful planet.

A sudden epiphany hit her, followed by a comical bead of sweat as she realized something important; how was she to find the residents of planet Namek? She could use her scouter, but there was a chance that the device wouldn't read their power signatures if they were too weak.

It was worth a shot though.

Adalina ascended high into the air, so that she could get a broader view of the land, before clicking her scouter. The tracking arrrows on the device moved sporadically around the small purple lens, sensing for significant power levels. She released a sigh of relief when the scouter beeped, pointing her towards a few power levels to the West. She only hoped that they were sentient residents, and not animals of some sort.

The Zandonian sped through the green sky, noting that she was entirely correct on her assumption, the entire planet did indeed look the same. She hadn't seen any signs of large cities either, which meant that the Nameks were either primitive, or had no need for the hustle and bustle of a more 'civilized' way of life. She was sure that Frieza had done research on the planet and had neglected to divulge any information to her. What a surprise.

She was making progress with the tyrant, and she almost felt comfortable enough to bring her true feelings to light, and hope that maybe he felt the same way. It wasn't so hard to believe at present as it would have been just a few short years ago, truthfully, it seemed as if they were in the same boat, both of them too fearful to reveal their feelings for one another. She caught short glimpses of admiration when he would look at her, noticed they way he got overly aggressive when anyone dare compliment her. Some might see it as obsession, or possessiveness, but she found it oddly endearing.

But perhaps that was a testament to her slipping sanity, for as much as she had wormed her way into his heart, he had done the same, and she found herself slowly adopting some of his mannerisms. She vowed to never become a merciless killing machine, but being sarcastic here and there didn't hurt anything, truly.

The trip went by fast, and before long she saw what she assumed to be a Namekian village come into view. She lowered herself to the ground, figuring it would be in her best interest to make herself appear as non-threatening as possible. Anxiousness churned in her stomach, she really hoped that the natives were cooperative; she didn't want any conflict.

The oval shaped buildings came into view, along with a few tilled pieces of farmland, and what she assumed to be Nameks. They were green and varied in sizes, she could tell that two of them were elders while the other two were mere children, given their size. They regarded her suspiciously, the more rotund of the group keeping the two children close.

"What brings you here, outsider? We saw your ship land and it is no doubt reminiscent of the Planet Trade." he spoke, a hint of warning in his voice. She couldn't blame them for holding her at an arms length, she was a stranger, an alien.

"Well, you're not wrong sir, my name is Adalina, I am Lord Frieza's second in command." she noted the way the adults tensed when she said his name, "I have come to request the use of your Dragon Balls." she finished as politely and as sweetly as she could.

"Absolutely not, whatever that _creature_ intends to do with the Dragon cannot be honorable in the least." he spat, causing Adalina's chest to clench a bit, "He is a vile tyrant, and his name is notorious, even here. I can sense that you mean no ill-will towards us, and I am shocked to know one such as you works for someone so evil."

Adalina pondered his words, thinking of the best way to go about the situation, perhaps honesty was the best method? If she told him the absolute truth, hopefully he would be able to see that their intentions were pure. It did hurt a bit knowing how the rest of the universe viewed Frieza, even if he had changed. She tried so hard, and still it seemed it wasn't enough, and he didn't care. He _liked_ being feared, able to kill anyone who dare challenge him, including these helpless Namekians if she couldn't convince them to comply.

"I understand why you would be hesitant, Frieza was quite the...tyrant long ago, but I'd like to think I've instilled a little bit of empathy in him," she held her head high, proud of her accomplishment, "he no longer clears planets, meaning he hasn't committed genocide in well over twenty years. We need your Dragon Balls because a planet that was under our jurisdiction was recently destroyed by a group of pirates." she reasoned, "The planet was uninhabited, but Beerus the Destroyer was particularly fond of it and it could spell disaster for the universe if we do not restore it before he wakes up."

The Namekian's eyes widened, yes, Beerus' wrath was much more terrifying than the prospect of letting a vile creature such as Frieza sully their Dragon Balls, and he supposed it wasn't really sullying if the wish was honorable, which, reviving a planet was. He had thought the intergalactic tyrant would wish for immortality or something else devious, but it seemed it was not the case, on the surface at least.

"That is quite the predicament." he sighed, "But I suppose I will allow it, well, after you perform a small task to prove you are worthy of course." he smirked, "My name is Moori, by the way."

Adalina smiled, but felt a little wary of whatever task they could have planned for her, and when Moori turned to speak with the elder beside her in an unfamiliar language, it only made her anxiety rise.

"Adalina, was it?" Moori caught her attention, "I have come to a consensus with my brother on your task. Do you see that large boulder over there?" he pointed to a rounded rock that seemed to be in the middle of a tilled plot of land, "It makes farming there quite difficult, of course we could always move somewhere else but the soil is exceptional there. No one has been able to move it, and using energy to destroy it would only result in damaging our crops, if you can move it, I will hand over my Dragon Ball."

Adalina nodded, a smile on her face, oblivious to the yellow eyes watching her.

Zarbon watched the exchange from a nearby outcropping, a small smile on his face. They would gather the balls in no time with her charisma, it was quite possible they could have all seven gathered before Vegeta even landed. The situation was ideal so far, but he still had a nagging sense of unease.

What was going to happen when Adalina realized Frieza had been lying to her? Or when every soldier on the ship had been given discreet orders to kill Vegeta at all costs? He knew how much she cared for the brash monkey, and if he had to bet, he did not return those feelings. He was a Saiyan, he didn't care about sentiment and would kill her without batting an eye if it came down to it.

Adalina gripped the rock as best she could and flew upwards, lifting with all her might. It wasn't an easy task, no, but it wasn't impossible either. Perhaps they had misjudged her strength and thought such a small woman couldn't handle a little manual labor. She would show them! She wiggled the rock a bit, disturbing the soil and loosening the planet's hold on the monstrous boulder.

She heaved and finally, the rock popped up and out of the soil, nearly sending her toppling over as she was met with her own pulling force against an object that was no longer unmovable,

"Where would you have me put it?" she smiled at the astonished Namekians.

Moori pointed to an empty plot of land,

"You've certainly earned our respect, but I suppose you don't become second in command to Frieza himself without being strong enough to keep up with him." he said light-heartedly, though deep down, something didn't feel right. The girl was trustworthy, yes, but Frieza, he was another story. Adalina was a bit on the naive side of things and it was entirely possible that he was using her unsuspecting, kind nature to gather the Dragon Balls for a more nefarious purpose.

But then again, she seemed strong enough to handle herself, and wasn't the type to be pushed around, so perhaps he was just being paranoid? Perhaps what she said was true, the tyrant had changed for the better. Still, something nagged at him to be on guard.

Moori retreated into his home and picked up the six star Dragon Ball, his worried expression reflected in the large orange crystal. Surely his peaceful planet was going to stay that way? Elder Guru couldn't handle any conflict in his frail state. Yes, these aliens had better hurry, should the Elder pass before they are able to make their wish.

He walked out with the orb and Adalina's eyes widened, she had certainly not anticipated them being so large, not that it would make much of a difference. It was light orange with six darker stars in the center. It captivated her; how could these spheres be capable of granting any wish? What made them so special?

"Thank you very much, I promise it's going to a worthy cause."

"You're welcome, but, before you go, would you like a guide to show you to the other villages? Having a Namekian with you is sure to calm any uneasiness the other elders might have."

She could gather the Dragon Balls a lot faster if she had a native leading her from village to village, rather than relying on her scouter, which wouldn't plot the quickest route,

"I would love that, actually." she beamed.

"Dende, would you care to show our new friend here around? You've been complaining about being cooped up."

The small Namekian child looked up at her shyly, hiding behind Moori,

"Aw, come on, I don't bite." she held her hand out as she crouched, the little guy was undeniably adorable and she just couldn't stop her heart from melting when he placed his tiny green hand in hers and stepped out from his hiding spot, "Thank you for trusting me Dende, and thank you for agreeing to help me around too."

She released his hand and stood,

"You two be cautious, okay?" Moori smiled.

Dende said a quick farewell to the other Namekian child and waved his older brothers off, following the purple skinned woman as she turned to walk away,

"Can you fly little guy?" she questioned.

Dende took to the air shakily,

"I am learning still." it was a silent plea not to go too fast or beyond his limits, and she didn't mind it at all. She remembered having to fly slow enough for Vegeta to keep pace with her when he was a young boy, and in her eyes, this was no different. Her heart clenched, she hoped she could see him and talk him down before he got himself killed.

"That's okay! We all started somewhere." she smiled sweetly as she took off at a steady pace, allowing Dende to take the lead. It was peaceful, relaxing even, all fear of failure washed away from her as she trailed after the child. Everything would work out, she just knew it.

* * *

"Meredith dear, it would seem that prophecy I had is coming to fruition, and unless we find a way to get that infuriating woman off planet, our plans for defeating Frieza will not happen. I suppose I'll wait a little longer before I cause a mess for her to clean up, and who knows, perhaps these Dragon Balls will create enough conflict for them to off themselves." she smirked, her blood-red lips contrasting eerily against pale skin and teeth.

"Yes mistress of course." the white haired demon purred in response, coming to straddle the other woman as she sat on her throne, "Everything will work out in your favor, as always, and even if we cannot defeat them, surely _she_ can when she finally awakens."

"Ah, yes, only a matter of time, but enough of that, I've been feeling rather _frustrated_ lately, care to fix it?" she whispered seductively.

Meredith trailed kisses down the woman's neck in response, and soon enough the two of them were involved in each other completely, reveling in the vice and sin they indulged themselves with.

The universe would soon be hers to command.

 _ **A/N: I uploaded a little early as a treat :3**_

 _ **Threw ya' for a loop didn't I? I honestly might have to change the rating on this, depending on a few...scenes I may or may not include ;)**_

 _ **No one was able to guess my quote correctly, but I'll give you the answer now: It's from Hellsing Ultimate. The full quote is something like,**_

 _ **"M-monster!"**_  
 _ **"Yes, people keep telling me that, but what does that make you? A man, a dog,...a monster?"**_

 _ **Alucard is my secret lover okay.**_

 _ **Anyway, I have a little announcement, I have decided to release my personal Twitter info to you guys, since I really don't have a use for it, but I figured it would be a good way to keep you up to date on anything if I'm gonna be behind schedule, or like, behind the scenes stuff.**_

 _ **My Twitter handle is LolitaKGmc.**_

 _ **I might also make a Facebook page if you all would enjoy it, review and let me know what you think.**_

 _ **I drew a picture of Adalina and Frieza as children, it is on my Deviantart: KuroKagamiImeji**_

 _ **Enjoy this last chapter of calm before the storm!**_


	33. Chapter 29

_29_

 _Chapter Twenty Nine_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

Frieza smiled, a genuine gesture as Zarbon reported on Adalina's progress,

"The natives seem to adore her, she's having absolutely no trouble and is about to collect the fourth Dragon Ball my Lord." he was excited as well, all traces of his earlier anxiety had vanished, for what could go wrong now?

"Wonderful, good work Zarbon." he was elated, his wish would be fulfilled soon enough. He thought back to the first time he had met Adalina, her demeanor had been calm, apathetic, but her eyes had been those of a cornered animal, a dangerous one at that. He knew she had potential, and presently, he was glad he had suffered through all of her quips and escape attempts, glad he hadn't decided to kill her when he had realized his feelings for her. She was proving herself to be the resource he had always dreamed of.

Adalina touched down in the fourth village she had visited that day, Dende happily standing beside her. The child had been wary at first, but now he could see that she was a kind and caring person, someone who wouldn't let a thing happen to him.

"Alright Dende let's go get that Dragon Ball." she strode forward with purpose, not cautious of the natives any longer. They were usually wary until they saw Dende happily strolling alongside her, and this village was no different. They weren't going in numerical order, and apparently they would be collecting the one star last, because Elder Guru was the one who truly decided if she was worthy of the Dragon's wishes. She was carrying three Dragon Balls precariously and would no doubt have to make a trip back to base to drop them off.

The village elder had stepped out to greet them, his features softening when he caught sight of Dende. The old man was flanked by two muscular Nameks who easily towered over her, warriors of this world. She had seen a few others that were no doubt fighters and had made sure to stay on their good side. She didn't know what they were capable of and underestimating an enemy was a sure way to get one killed.

"Hello my name is Adalina." she introduced herself with a slight bow, "I would like to have your Dragon Ball, if that's alright with you."

The Elder eyed the orbs she had already collected, surmising that she must be trustworthy if she had already collected three of his brothers', and she even had a Namekian child with her,

"For what purpose?" he questioned as a precaution.

"A planet was wrongfully destroyed, I- we, the PTO want to wish it back." she smiled brightly, hoping this Elder would also see her reasoning.

He returned the smile,

"Very well, I sense you have no ill-will," they all said that, what did it even mean? What could they sense?, "My name is Clari and I will hand over my Dragon Ball, if you can pass my test that is."

She smiled, she had had absolutely no trouble completing the tests thus far and she assumed this one would be no different.

"That'll be no problem, just tell me what I have to do."

Clari smiled, more of a smirk really, something a lot of the wiser Nameks did when they thought they could slip her up. He caught eyes with one of the hulking warriors beside him and said something in a language she had come to know as Namekian.

"This is Cabasa," he hooked a thumb towards the man, "if you can beat him, I'll give you my Dragon Ball."

Adalina smiled brightly, glad that she was going to be doing something other than menial chores for once,

"Okay!" she wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating the man though, no matter if her scouter's read out was low, she was sure he was much stronger. It would seem these beings were capable of masking their power level.

Cabasa nodded,

"Follow me, we cannot fight near the houses." he began walking towards a large open field, and she followed. He seemed to be a stoic man of few words, but she didn't mind, she preferred that over some cocky welp.

The village elder and second warrior had also come and were standing some ways away with Dende,

"What are the ground rules?" Adalina asked as she took her scouter off and tossed it to the sidelines where her little green guide scooped it up, holding it protectively. She had also left the Dragon Balls beside him, twinkling in the sun light.

"No biting, no dishonorable moves and no killing. To win the fight you must pin your opponent on the ground for longer than ten seconds." Cabasa explained, not a hint of emotion in his voice, "I fear underestimating you is not a wise move." he smirked as he removed his scarf, dropping it to the ground with a thud.

"Weighted clothing huh? I've always liked that idea but have never gotten around to making my own." she crouched into a fighting stance powering up to her intermediate state, eyes glowing bright red, "I won't make the mistake of underestimating you either."

Cabasa was the first to pounce, diving towards her with a blade-hand and slicing towards the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Adalina dove to the side, narrowly avoiding his hit as she slammed a knee into his rib cage knocking him a few feet. Cabasa's eyes widened, she had hit him _hard_ and yet he could tell she was holding back, whether subconsciously or not.

Adalina noticed his falter and spun into a roundhouse kick, only for her leg to be caught last minute as Cabasa snapped out of his thoughts. He tossed the much smaller fighter off to the side like a rag-doll, sending her soaring towards a cliff face. She righted herself mid-air and flew back towards him, not discouraged in the least.

"I haven't had a chance to use this in real battle so you tell me if it's effective or not- Hakainoha*!" she whipped her arm out and a teal, curved blade of ki expanded from her elbow to her ring finger, speeding towards Cabasa. She was sure to reign in the cutting power of her new attack as she didn't intend to kill the man.

Cabasa shot out a ki blast of his own, intercepting the blade and dissipating it,

"It would be most effective, if you used it at full power. I appreciate you not wanting to cut me in half though." he smirked.

Adalina appeared behind him as he finished speaking,

 _"Use everything to your advantage, Adalina, if your opponent stops to speak or belittle you, take their lapse in judgement and use it against them."_

"Thanks Master Intris." she mumbled as she wrapped her legs around his neck and dropped like a dead weight, bringing him to the ground. She wasted no time in pulling his arm towards her and between her legs, effectively putting him in an arm bar.

Someone began counting as Cabasa struggled to break the painful hold, but to no avail, she was much stronger than he. He found it funny, that one so small held so much power, she would cause someone a lot of trouble one day, if she hadn't already.

The other warrior on the side reached ten and Adalina instantly released the man, not wanting to cause him further pain. She held out a hand and he took it, allowing her to pull him up, well, as best she could with the three foot height difference.

"You fight well." he commended.

"I was once a leader in my planet's military, so I know a thing or two." she smiled.

"Follow me, I have deemed you honorable enough to receive my Dragon Ball." Clari smiled and beckoned for her to come. She stopped to scoop up her scouter and the three Dragon Balls she had collected thus far.

Clari walked into his small hut and scooped up the two star Dragon Ball, praying that he wasn't making a mistake, that he and his brothers weren't being decieved. He knew the girl was trustworthy, but he had no idea if Frieza, for who else could it be with the PTO, was feeding the her lies.

He walked out and handed it to her, but she found it difficult to grab with her hands full. She thought of her best solution, not wanting to make Dende carry the heavy orbs, but also not being able to carry all four herself, her arms weren't big enough and her telepathic skills were not good enough.

She smirked when she remembered something that had happened during her fight, a flash of green and familiar yellow eyes,

"Zarbon I saw you watching the fight, come down here." she called out, confusing those around her.

Zarbon cursed when he heard his name being called,

"Seems she's finally spotted me, my Lord." he spoke over his scouter as he dropped out of a tree.

"I told you to be careful." Frieza's voice was like a blade, cold and cutting, "Do not let her know why."

"And to what do I owe the pleasure, no, wait, don't tell me, I want to guess. Frieza decided he couldn't trust me enough and sent you to keep watch, right?"

Zarbon and Frieza mentally cursed as she deduced their reasons with nary a thought,

"He wanted to make sure back up was near by in case anything went wrong." Zarbon quickly covered, hoping she didn't question him any further, even the best liar could get caught by her, Frieza one of the sole exceptions.

Adalina scrutinized him with suspicion dancing in her eyes, looking for any hint of hesitation, and hole in his story. She weighed her options and it was likely that he _was_ worried about her, in his own. There was no doubt that he did get a bit antsy whenever she went on missions alone.

"Fine fine, take these back to base then." she motioned to the Dragon Balls, "Unfortunately my arms are much too small, and tell Frieza to have a little faith in me."

Frieza's eyes narrowed, Zarbon wouldn't have to tell him, he was still online and had heard the entire exchange. He supposed he was being a bit paranoid, but who could blame him? The fate of his organization, the universe, and his very life were at stake and he wouldn't let some group of _demons_ take any of that away from him. This was the only plausible solution that would warrant success in all three areas no matter what. It was the only way.

Adalina watched Zarbon take off into the distance before flashing a smile at the Nameks,

"It was night meeting you, you put up quite a fight. And don't let it get you down that you got beat by a little woman, I'm nearly as strong as Frieza after all." she waved as she and Dende took to the air once more, on their way to the next village.

Clari's eyes widened, Lord Frieza's strength was the talk of legends, unrivaled by most who were not celestial beings, and even then, he was sure that if he put his mind to it...

He shook his, he had faith that this Adalina, his second in command, nearly as strong as him, would do a fine job at keeping him on a straight path. He waved after her, Cabasa and the rest following suit, wishing her well.

"Onward to our next conquest Dende!" she yelled excitedly.

"Well, um, actually Miss Adalina, we're going the wrong way." the Namekian child pointed out sheepishly, a drop of sweat on his forehead. The Zandonian woman had enthusiastically taken the lead with no clue of where the next village was.

"Oh, right." she drifted back and allowed her little green friend to fly to the front, guiding them in the opposite direction.

Her scouter suddenly beeped rapidly, alerting her to something entering the planet's atmosphere. It had happened earlier, but Dende had told her it was a Namekian ship and that if it was suspicious the other villages would have alerted her, but no one had said anything.

But this, this was different.

She looked into the sky, eyes wide as a space pod plummeted out of the sky, and by the reading on her scouter, it was no doubt Vegeta. Her initial shock wore off as she pressed a button on her scouter,

"Vegeta's here." she told Frieza.

"Yes, I know, Cui is on his way to the landing sight as we speak." his voice held a maliciously giddy tone that made her stomach twist into knots.

"Please, don't kill him." she murmured, her emotions getting the better of her in front of the concerned Namekian child, "I promise, I'll-"

"You've been promising things for years Adalina! And I say once more, where has that gotten us? He's an arrogant fool who doesn't know his place. No matter how many times you spoken with him or knocked him down he still causes me trouble-"

"That's because of you! He hates you and he has good reason to, and you know it. You brashly discriminate against Saiyans, and for what? Because they're weaker than you? Lesser beings? Now I'm not saying i'm going to let him anywhere near the Dragon Balls, but perhaps discharging him from th PTO is a much better solution than out-right killing him."

Her scouter beeped, alerting her to a rapid increase in power level and she watched as another strong power level simply winked out without much of a fight,

"Cui's dead." Frieza said with mild disbelief.

"Vegeta got his ass handed to him on a platter, Frieza, the Saiyans have Zenkai, remember?" she blandly stated, "I'd garner he could probably take on Dodoria and Zarbon at this point, so your only option is to send me."

"No. Continue gathering the Dragon Balls, and maybe if you're quick enough he won't be dead by the time you're done." the connection was cut and she knew she had lost that particular argument.

She growled and noticed her aura had flared, scaring the young Namekian child,

"Miss Adalina, are you okay?" he questioned timidly after having watched the explosive show of frustration.

She calmed down a bit and looked at the small child, remembering what she was doing, remembering where she was.

"Yes, I'm fine, grown up problems, that's all. Things might get a bit rough soon so I need you to be on guard, okay?" she gently told him.

He nodded, a look of concern still stretched across his face,

"I understand."

"Let's get a move on then." she smiled, though her chest was still twisted in knots, she couldn't say anything to stop the boys from fighting and trying to kill each other, and she supposed they had every reason to. It was a fight she really couldn't get in between, but she'd be damned if she didn't try to keep both of them alive and well.

They flew off into the distance, towards the next village, Adalina listening intently for the distant sounds of battle that were sure to fill the peaceful planet in the near future.

 _ **A/N: *Alright I was excited to finally give Adalina a signature move, and I hope I did well with my translation. Fun fact about you author, I actually learned Japanese a few years back and only got back into anime, like things other than DBZ and InuYasha and Sailor Moon, was so I could learn the language, along with my Rosetta Stone. Anywho, Hakainoha means blade of destruction, or wave of destruction, depending.**_

 _ **Oh, and the Nameks are named after instruments and slugs, so you'll be seeing the best of both worlds when it comes to my OCs, Clari is a clarinet, and Cabasa is a percussion instrument.**_

 _ **Asteria asked me my opinion on Super, and I must say, aside from some minor animation (minor?lol) problems, it's decent, I was impressed with how they retold the movies. But I am really loving the manga right now. Frost is just unf.**_

 _ **By the way, would you guys like longer chapters? I'm capable of making them much longer, but I can't get it done in a week. I'm thinking for pivotal chapters I may take two weeks to write, would you guys be opposed to that?**_

 _ **Any who, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, things are starting to get good :3**_

 _ **Until next time!**_


	34. Chapter 30

_30_

 _Chapter Thirty_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

Krillin and Gohan were quietly observing the scene playing out before them, trying to decide if they should reveal themselves or not,

"She came to get Vegeta on Earth, remember?" Krillin tried jogging the young boys memory, he was sure he had been conscious for at least some of it.

"I think I remember, she's the one who cut my tail off right?" he questioned sweetly, not a hint of maliciousness in his childish voice.

"That's right, her energy reading isn't evil at all, not like Vegeta's or that other guys," he gulped, remembering the spine-tingling feeling he had gotten earlier, "So _he's_ probably the one who sent those goons after us, she probably had nothing to do with it."

"We could just ask her." Gohan shrugged, his voice becoming a little too loud.

Adalina and the village elder shared a quizzical look before she turned to the direction she had heard the voice,

"Or," she looked directly at the cliff she knew they were hiding on, "you could stop pussy-footing around and come down here, I don't bite, usually." she yelled as she tucked her newly acquired Dragon Ball under her arm, hands on her hips.

Krillin and Gohan both jumped, feeling a bit guilty as they stood hastily and offered smiles to the purple skinned woman,

"Sorry we just didn't know if you were friend or foe.", Krillin explained sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head, a grin on his face, "You're friendly, right?", he laughed nervously, she was way stronger than Vegeta and Nappa, he did not want to be on her bad side.

"Oh, it's you guys! Gohan, and Krillin" she smiled, remembering them from her short trip to Earth She was surprised she could recall their names, "I suppose I'm not a threat to you guys."  
Krillin gave a short laugh,

"Forgive me but I don't think I ever caught your name."

"Adalina, now tell me, what brings you sneaking around and why would you think I'd hurt you?" she questioned gently.

Krillin's expression dropped as he became serious,

"Some goons came after us, and for a moment we believed it could have been the work of Vegeta and we weren't sure if you two had had a falling out."

She shook her head, knowing exactly who was to blame for their run-in,

"Frieza probably has the foot soldiers on standby to take care of any perceived threats, you two have high power levels, so you could be considered a threat. Don't worry, I'll talk to him, in fact-" she pressed a button on her scouter, "The Earthlings are here, did you send soldiers out after them?" she called through the device

"Do they have high power levels?" he asked, sounding as if she had said the stupidest thing in the world.

"Yes."

"Then of course the soldiers went out after them, I'm assuming I won't be seeing those soldiers again though."

"I don't think so, look, they aren't a threat and I'm sure they have good reason for coming out so far, so can you not send any more foot soldiers out?" The Earthlings shared a look, surely she wasn't talking to the extremely high and volatile energy they had felt earlier, and with no hint of fear either.

"I've got Vegeta to worry about, now leave me be." he disconnected the call with a crackle.

Frieza was stressed, and very angry, his entire plan was complicated due to the presence of Vegeta and the Earthlings. He wasn't sure what the humans were doing on Namek, but he was certain that it had something to do with the Dragon Balls. Adalina was too giving, too caring for her own good and the humans were capable of playing that to their advantage, to make it seem as if they needed the Dragon Balls more, and she would hand them right over.

He almost wished he hadn't even brought her along.

No, he shook his head, she was needed. Adalina was the second strongest being on the planet, and if he wanted to avoid dealing with any problems personally, he would need her. Mentioning that...

"Dodoria, get in here." he called over his scouter.

The pink alien appeared in the throne room moments later,

"Lord Frieza, sir." he stood at attention before his boss, awaiting orders.

"Go deal with Vegeta." was all he said.

Frieza hid his scowl as the bulbous alien left, that damn Saiyan monkey was getting too strong, but he didn't believe that he was strong enough, nor skilled enough to deal with one of his elites, not yet. If by some chance he defeated Dodoria, he would send Zarbon, and if Zarbon failed he would have to send Adalina. The woman was more than strong enough to deal with Vegeta, but the question was whether or not she would actually _deal_ with him.

"Everything is falling to pieces because of that blasted monkey!" he growled under his breath before taking a long draught of his wine.

"I should be gathering the rest of the Dragon Balls, but that can wait." Adalina sighed as she took a seat on one of the small ledges common to the planet, propping her feet up on the orange sphere she had placed on the ground, "What are you doing here? It's very dangerous you know." she dropped the theoretical bomb on the two.

Gohan and Krillin took a seat on the ground in front of her, Dende crawling up to sit beside her. They wore sullen expressions, giving her cause to think that she may know the reason, but she kept her thoughts to herself as the bald human took a deep breath,

"We're here for the Dragon Balls as well, to resurrect the friends we lost to the Saiyans." Krillin explained, "We had no idea your...organization would be here."

Adalina's eyes widened as a pang of guilt resonated within her. That's right, they had lost people due to Vegeta's reckless behavior, and here they all were in the same place, looking for the same things.

"We need them to wish a planet back, but, I'm sure it could wait, your needs seem more urgent, and to be completely honest with you," she made sure no one was listening in on her scouter, "I think Frieza isn't being completely honest with me, which is why I'm out here instead of him."

Dende perked up at the mention of wishes and gave both parties a small smile,

"Porunga is capable of granting three wishes." he beamed happily, "You could share, I'm sure."

Adalina perked up as well,

"We could avoid a lot of conflict that way, because I'm sure I would get quite the ear full for giving you the Dragon Balls, and knowing Frieza, you wouldn't get very far with them. He's a lot stronger than Vegeta, and marginally stronger than I am."

Krillin and Gohan shared a look of fear before turning back to their alien friend, who they were sure was much stronger than she let on. They were about to reply when a sudden tingling of their senses threw them off guard,

"Someone's coming." Gohan's brows furrowed as he felt the strong power level that was about to be right on top of them, "And fast."

Adalina's scouter started beeping as it recognized a power level,

"Get down, it's Dodoria and he won't hesitate to come down here if he sees you. I can't even begin to tell you what Frieza would do if I killed one of his right hand men." she stood hastily as the two Earthlings crouched behind a boulder, lowering their power levels.

He was probably going after Vegeta, since it was obvious he was too much for Cui. She had always disliked Dodoria, and even if it would cause trouble, she was hoping Vegeta would teach him a lesson. She had seen his power level sky-rocket, and it had nearly terminated her scouter.

Dodoria had no chance.

She watched as the pink alien flew over-head, barely sparing her a glance. Her scouter beeped once more as Vegeta powered up, preparing for the arrival of his new enemy. The humans ducked out of hiding, looks of despair written on their faces,

"I'm beginning to think you're the only sane one out of this group." Krillin's voice shook as he ran through countless scenarios in his head, ones that involved the death of Gohan, Bulma, and himself. He had a suspicion that the nice young woman that stood before him was a puppet being controlled by a much darker force. He knew what he had felt, that Frieza was an evil one, and certainly, he had malicious intent. Things were getting complex, and a lot scarier.

"Well, my boss is a bit of a megalomaniac, but, I'd do just about anything for him. Trust me, before I met him, he was much worse. He would commit mass genocide, and sell the empty planets for a profit. He had no regard for anything or anyone but himself, but slowly, I've warmed his heart, if only a little. He's not all that bad, he just grew up thinking he only had himself. Vegeta, well, I practically raised him. He hates Frieza, and it's understandable, he made his life miserable and no matter how hard I tried, I could never fix that particular link. I'm not sure what's gotten into him lately but his behavior is unacceptable, and believe me, he'll be dealt with when I get a hold of him." she clenched her fist, "Things are probably about to get pretty intense, but I promise, I'll make sure you make it off this planet alive, for as much as I care for those two, I know they'd eat you alive if given the chance."

Gohan laughed a bit,

"That's reassuring, I'm sure mom would be having a fit if she knew what was going on right now."

Krillin laughed at that,

"I'm sure she would be." he replied, "Hopefully Goku is able to make it here. I'm sorry, Adalina, but if Frieza or Vegeta make themselves out to be a threat, we'll have to deal with them. I don't want it to come down to a fight, but if it comes down to it..."

"Goku, the Saiyan?" she recalled, he had defeated Vegeta but had also suffered great injury, he would no doubt be much stronger as well, "With all due respect, if it does come down to a fight I don't know if he could handle Frieza. I can take him on though, but even I have doubts I would win."

Krillin and Gohan shared a look, they hadn't seen what she was capable of, but they were sure Goku was capable of anything,

"My dad's really strong, he can take him I bet!" Gohan smiled, "And of course, if you helped him, I'm sure it would all turn out in the end."

Adalina gave him a small smile, Frieza would despise her if she teamed up with a Saiyan against him, he already hated the fact that she still had hope for Vegeta. She was stuck in an odd place, but she'd like to think that she would do the right thing, no matter what. But truly, what was the right thing? Who was she to decide what was right and wrong? Sure she'd been doing it for years, but suddenly it was making her weary.

"Well, I better go get those other Dragon Balls, you're free to accompany me if it'd make you feel safer." she offered.

"Well, I guess it couldn't hurt, Bulma should be fine on her own for now." Krillin replied, "Though she might kill us for leaving her alone." the two Earthlings shared a laugh.

"Lead the way Dende-oh! I didn't introduce you, this is Dende, I just said that, didn't I? Oh well, he's my guide." she smiled at the Namekian child as they took to the air.

"Nice to meet you Dende, I'm Gohan!" the half-Saiyan beamed, always excited to make new friends.

"I'm Krillin." the monk pointed to himself with a bright smile.

The mismatched group took off, following the small child at a steady pace, those who could sense energy keeping a close eye on the two power levels that had started fighting, no doubt.

* * *

Vegeta grabbed Dodoria by his arms and pulled them behind the blubbery alien, making him wince in pain,

"Please, don't kill me!" he couldn't call for help, the Saiyan had made sure to destroy his scouter and he was sure the wench wouldn't come to his rescue any way. She was a traitor, he never knew why Frieza kept her around, "We can work together, we can overthrow Frieza!"

"Oh very funny Dodoria, beg a little more, make yourself look even more pathetic before I end your worthless existence." Vegeta smirked maliciously, no shred of mercy to be seen on his face.

"I - I can tell you what really happened to your planet!" he called in a desperate plea for survival, a few extra seconds to think of a way out.

"You've managed to hold my attention, speak before I break you in half." Vegeta commanded heavily.

"It wasn't a meteor, it was Frieza, he destroyed your planet!"

Vegeta's eyes widened as he heard that. He had suspected it for years, but hearing it said aloud was entirely different. He knew why he hated Frieza so much now, it was born within him, he had destroyed his planet, taken him from his father and turned him into a monster. A sudden sobering thought hit him like a ton of bricks as his hands began trembling, a cold feeling settling in the pit of his stomach and spreading through his body,

"Did Adalina know of this?" his voice was barely above a whisper as he contained his rage.

"She did!" Dodoria shouted as Vegeta pulled harder on his arms.

She knew, and she didn't tell him. He looked up to her, pushed to be as strong as her and further beyond that. As much as he hated to admit it, she was a constant rock of support throughout his life. She had saved him from countless beatings, and had taken the hits instead of him, he was sure of it.

And yet, she had kept something that important from him.

He quickly dispatched the pink alien, his mind clouded. She probably had a reason, Frieza would have no doubt had her head if she had told him, but even still, it made him feel betrayed. Abandoned.

He sensed a group of power levels flying some distance away from him, and knew it was her, and she was with the Earthlings. He would kill two birds with one stone if he went after them now. He could deal with the meddling humans, and question Adalina, and perhaps, _deal_ with her as well. He already had two wins under his belt, and she wouldn't be able to kill him, he could get the jump if she didn't answer him correctly.

He took off at immense speeds, not bothering to hide his presence.

* * *

Adalina suddenly stopped mid-air and turned around, eyes wide as her scouter screeched. The humans looked blue in the face as the realized who was coming directly towards them,

"We need to split, find somewhere to hide and I'll go towards base. If I raise my power level there's a chance he'll follow me, after all, he might be mad enough to want to fight me after what happened on Earth." she quickly stated, "Take Dende with you and fly as fast as you can."

Krillin nodded and scooped the little green alien up, taking off with Gohan in tow.

Adalina quickly powered up, her eyes glowing red as she went into her intermediate state. She turned her scouter off, knowing that the device couldn't handle her power level.

The two Earthlings were trembling from being close to such power,

"She's way stronger than Vegeta, I'm glad she's on our side!" Krillin nervously stated.

Adalina took off towards base, hoping the Saiyan decided to tail her instead of the much weaker Earthlings. She was conflicted, there were three different factions fighting for the same thing and she was caught in the middle as the mediator, the peace keeper. She would have to take a side if anything went down, but she would try her best to prevent any fights.

It didn't take long for to reach base, or for her to realize that Vegeta hadn't followed. She hoped beyond all hopes he hadn't caught up with the Earthlings either, they were experts at masking their power levels and surely they would use that to their advantage.

She entered the ship and walked straight to the throne room where she found Frieza fuming in his hover pod, the Dragon Balls on the floor below him. Adalina added one more to the pile as he turned around,

"What are you doing back here without all seven of the Dragon Balls?" he questioned sternly, he was stressed, she could tell, it happened quite often. She had to walk on egg shells whenever he got like that, and this time was no exception.

"Vegeta defeated Dodoria, I'm sure you noticed. He was pursuing the Earthlings so I thought I'd bring this Dragon Ball back just in case." it wasn't a lie, not truly, but it was far from the whole story.

Frieza sighed heavily,

"Zarbon." he called over his scouter.

Adalina got a sick feeling in her stomach, she adored the green alien and didn't want anything to happen to him or Vegeta. They had become the best of friends over the years, and for some reason, she felt as if he couldn't handle the newly powered up Saiyan,

"I'll go, that way you'll know for certain the job will get done. Vegeta's unpredictable." she pleaded.

"Are you calling me weak?" Zarbon said with a smirk as the door hissed shut behind him, "I can deal with Vegeta."

Adalina's eyes widened, why would nobody listen to her? This was getting way out of hand.

* * *

Krillin's fists shook as one by one, he felt a power go out, like a light that had been extinguished. They had just barely escaped Vegeta, but at what cost? He should've followed him, should have stopped him,

"He's killing them." Gohan growled, in the same state as his friend, "He's killing the Namekians."

Dende's eyes widened as he heard that,

"My brothers, we have to stop this, we can't let him hurt the others!" he desperately pleaded, "We have to see Elder Guru, he'll know what to do."

Krillin thought about it, and the situation was beginning to look grim for them. He knew that Frieza was up to something that Adalina didn't know about, and honestly, he feared for what would happen if he gathered the rest of the Dragon Balls,

"Who is this Guru?" he questioned.

"He's the oldest and wisest of our kind, he is the only one who survived the great fires that purged our planet years and years ago. A witch invaded our planet and used the Dragon Balls to wish for immortality, but the Elder made a loophole of some sort, and she was angry, cursing our planet to burn. He has a lot of experience with people using the Dragon Balls for corrupt purposes, he'll know what to do." Dende explained, determination written across his face.

"You're not leaving me alone again! You can go but Gohan stays here." Bulma shouted, tired of being neglected. She wasn't strong like the boys, and could be easily damaged. She needed a body guard.

"Right, I'll go, come on Dende."

* * *

"I'm going after him, you can handle yourself if anything happens." Adalina said with an edge of finality.

"If something should happen to my Dragon Balls because of your reckless behavior, I will have your head." Frieza seethed.

Adalina turned and left, not in the mood for fighting with the tyrant.

Everything was falling apart, and she had a feeling that it was all about to go downhill.

She only hoped that she could keep her feet steady and her head level.

 _ **A/N: We hit thirty chapters, finally! Woohoo, milestones.  
Alright so it seems you all were opposed to longer update times, but I will try to make chapters a little longer. For some pivotal moments, I may take a few extra days to update though, like next week. Adalina is about to fight Vegeta and I feel like that needs to be a long chapter so it might take me longer, who knows.**_

 _ **Would you all be interested in a mock opening/PV(picture video) for Moral Compass. I feel like I'm capable of doing it and I need to practice my animation skills anyway. Also, this story is almost to 200 reviews and that amazes me, you're all awesome. I might have a surprise for 200 reviews, who knows ;)**_

 _ **And how would you guys feel if I changed the rating to M? Things are about to start getting a bit graphic and I don't know if I wanna sensor it or anything.**_


	35. Chapter 31

_31_

 _Chapter Thirty One_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

Adalina flew through the air at top speeds as Zarbon had gotten quite the lead on her. She would have left right after him if Frieza hadn't decided to argue with her about it.

"If they would just _listen_ to me, this could have all been avoided." she growled in frustration, "That insufferable man!" the wind stung her eyes as she picked up speed, her aura flaring a bit as she tapped into her power.

Zarbon was abruptly thrown to the ground as Vegeta unleashed the extent of his power. He didn't have time to block as the Saiyan kicked him across the rough ground, sending him soaring. How was this possible? How was he being defeated?

"You know Zarbon, I've never really had anything against you, not in recent years. Adalina seemed to have succeeded in softening you up as well, but, you're standing in the way of my plans. I will become immortal, before Frieza." Zarbon's eyes widened, "Oh? Was I not suppose to know that? You'd have to be a blind fool to not figure that one out."

He would tell Adalina, just for spite, and then where would that leave them? Adalina was strong and the only one capable of holding their own against her was Frieza, but then again, she probably wouldn't kill anyone but she certainly wouldn't help them if the situation called for it. Everything had been smooth sailing, there had been no causalities and it had all been because of Adalina's quick thinking. She was a kind and caring young woman who needed to revive a planet and the natives had been more than willing to comply. It made everything simple. She didn't need to know Frieza's true reasons.

But then the humans showed up.

And Vegeta.

And people were dropping like flies.

"If you come quietly, perhaps I can convince our Lord not to kill you." he ground out, "It's either you come with me or Adalina comes and gets you, and I'm sure you don't want her coming out here."

Vegeta cackled as if Zarbon had told him the funniest joke,

"You really think she scares me? She may have a higher power level, but she's weak. There is no difference between mercy and stupidity, no subtle nuance. She won't kill me, she won't even attempt to fight me. She'll give me a slap on the wrist and drag me back to base, but I won't let her." he smirked, "I'll kill her before she gets the chance."

"Would you truly be able to do so?" Zarbon questioned quietly.

"Of course." his words were hollow though, they held no meaning. He knew he would have a hard time, but Zarbon didn't need to know that, he would be dead soon after all.

Adalina had arrived at that point and had been quietly hiding behind a nearby cliff, her ears sensitive enough to hear every word. What had she done to deserve such treatment from him? She had cared for him for all those years, and for what? Perhaps Frieza was right.

She was distraught, but she knew that she needed to channel her feelings of despair into something useful.

Anger.

"Who says I won't fight you?" she shouted, coming to stand between Zarbon and Vegeta, "I have done nothing but help you all these years, and this is how you repay me? You ungrateful boy." she seethed, "I'll give you a fight and then I'll _drag_ you back to head quarters. If anyone is naive, or s _tupid_ it's you. I know where I stand in this universe, do you?"

"Adalina." Zarbon stepped forward and placed a hand on her shoulder, "You don't have to do this."

She shrugged him off and took a fighting stance,

"Yes, I do. I'll even start off in my base form, I'm about as strong as Frieza's first form like this, let's see how you fair because if I do fail by some chance, you'll have to deal with him and I can guarantee you he won't show you any mercy."

Vegeta froze, he had put his foot in his mouth, could he really do this? Was this something he was prepared to deal with? He cleared his head and remembered why he was angry with her. She had betrayed him,

"You knew that Frieza destroyed my planet and you never said a word, you pretended you didn't know a damn thing!"

She furrowed her brows, her heart sinking a bit as the weight of his words hit her like a meteor. He probably felt betrayed by her, and knowing his pride he probably thought it was a snide inside joke that everyone knew, except for him.

"You were a child and I was trying my hardest to not get myself killed. You think if I had told you everything would have been fine? It would have caused problems for everyone and you know it. I did it in yours and my own best interest."

"You were only kissing up to Frieza in some futile attempt to garner his affection and you know it. You turn a blind eye to his doings- do you even know why you're here? It's not to resurrect a planet-"

"Vegeta shut your mouth." Zarbon mumbled through clenched teeth, trying to avoid any suspicion.

"Oh? Is she not suppose to know? Forgive me." he sardonically replied, "He's here for the same reason I am: immortality."

Adalina faltered, her raised fists dropping slightly as her heart pounded in her ears. She had known, she just didn't want to believe it. She had trusted him and-

No. She didn't have time for him, she had to deal with Vegeta.

"Then you're more alike than you think, Vegeta. I've tried so hard to keep you two within decent moral standards, and it would seem I haven't done enough. I know you peg Frieza as the bad guy, as the villain, and in some ways you're not wrong, but are you not the same?"

"Of course I'm not the same! How dare you, I'm nothing like that spineless lizard." he spat, growing more angry by the second. What he was doing wasn't wrong, it was for revenge, for his pride, his people.

"You behave in the same manner because someone else told you it was right, told you to cast aside your emotions. With Frieza it was Kold, and in turn, Frieza beat those same commandments into you. Everyone in this universe has a reason for the way they are, our job is to sit and listen to those reasons. Am I mad at him for lying to me? Absolutely furious. Will I let him go through with his plans? Over my dead body. But the same goes for you, Vegeta. I'm going to allow the humans to use the Dragon Balls to wish back the people _you_ were responsible for killing. Neither you nor Frieza will get your heinous desires."

Vegeta's face had fallen slightly during her lecture, but as soon as she mentioned the humans, his countenance instantly returned to its normal condescending smirk,

"Do you honestly think he won't hunt them down and kill them? Do you think I am above such things? You really are a fool."

"Enough. I am not a child, I know how you both are, and damn it I'm trying! I will not let either of you get away with this." she had taken a stern fighting stance once more, "Now prepare yourself because I will not go easy on you, you've already pissed me off." and then when she was done with him, she would have a few words with Frieza.

She still couldn't believe she had trusted him, but she knew he was doing it out of fear. He was afraid of being over-thrown, meeting his match. Didn't he understand that he wasn't alone, that she would fight for his survival no matter what? Things had gotten tense with Lilith a year ago, yes, and things would continue to unravel, but they would fix it.

She had to deal with the problem at hand though.

"I'm going back to base to inform Lord Frieza of these new developments." Zarbon glared at the Saiyan, "Everything has gone to shit because of you, Vegeta."

"I'm glad he didn't keep me in the dark though," Adalina shot a pointed look at the green alien, "Make sure Frieza knows I am _not_ happy with his lies."

Zarbon took off without another word, trembling at what punishment possibly awaited him,

"I heard all of that." Frieza calmly stated over his scouter, making him jump. He was furious, no, he was beyond the point of blind rage, his seemingly calm demeanor was proof of that, "Why did you not stop him?"

"With all due respect my Lord, what was I to do?"

"You should have been more than capable of killing that little runt but your vain nature prevents you from transforming!" he shouted, causing Zarbon to wince, "I will not lose her because of this, do you understand me?" after all the fighting, humiliation, and reluctant self realization he was going to lose her because of a misunderstanding. He was doing this for the both of them, he was doing this so that Lilith would never have a chance at ruling the universe.

"I apologize sir, but I thought Adalina would have handled him so I didn't bother after she had shown up. I'll fix this, I promise." he pleaded, hoping his boss would spare him.

Frieza was about to reply with a threat but a frantic voice interrupted him,

"Lord Frieza sir, this is planet 316, we're under attack! The enemy resembles the demon creatures we were told to keep an eye out for! They're damaging our numbers steadily, sir!" the alien on the other end of the comm. system reported.

Frieza's blood ran cold. She was making a move, and she was attacking the planet with all his reserve soldiers, something that would be quite damaging to his force. If she managed to kill them all, then he would be left with only his elites and a handful of foot soldiers, i.e. the ones that were on Namek with him. He couldn't leave just in case Vegeta _was_ too strong for anyone but himself...but...,

He could send Adalina out after them. She was strong enough to handle Lilith's cronies, no doubt, and if she ran into trouble t _hen_ he would intervene, and perhaps by then he would have his wish.

* * *

Adalina glared at Vegeta with the intensity of a super nova, a look he himself had never been on the receiving end of. It was the look she gave Frieza whenever the tyrant would kill one of his subordinates for no reason, or call her out for being weak. It was a look that she had worn near constantly when she had first arrived on the ship.

It was a look he hadn't seen in years.

Adalina growled, a low intimidating sound as she launched towards her opponent, the dirt beneath her shifting from the force of her push-off.

Vegeta barely had time to spin out of the way but was met with a swift kick as she phased behind him, sending him tumbling across the ground.

He looked up as she walked towards him, a purpose in her step.

He had made a terrible mistake.

And she was going to make sure he never made it again.

 _ **A/N: Dun dun dun. Alright, I apologize for the short chapter but it's been a hectic week, and I really wanted the fight between Vegeta and Adalina to be long, so you'll get it next week, so keep an eye out for it :) I turned 18 yesterday as well, so it's been a busy week.**_

 _ **A few of you said yes to the opening idea, so I may just try my hand at it.**_

 _ **Arthur101SueEllen also suggested I do a Q/A special when I hit 200 reviews and I thought that was a wonderful idea, so be looking for that as well.**_

 _ **I also uploaded an update on Daemon, Meredith, and Baphomet's character designs on dA: KuroKagamiImeji.**_

 _ **I will be working on new armor for Frieza since he'll be in his final form a lot after the Namek saga.**_


	36. Chapter 32

_32_

 _Chapter Thirty Two_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

Adalina threw up her forearm, blocking the force of Vegeta's blow. He had become much stronger, and he was actually becoming a challenge for her base form. It was an interesting development, that was for sure. She pushed him away and took a leap back, flexing her fingers and arm to make sure no damage had been done.

Vegeta wiped a dribble of crimson liquid from his lower lip, glowering at the woman before him. She was strong, he knew that, and he knew that he shouldn't be fighting her in the first place but his pride prevented him from seeing any reason. He had to defeat her, for throwing him under the bus on such an important matter.

"Any other time I would have said we could stop, that we didn't have to do this, but not this time Vegeta, you've pushed too far this time."

Vegeta laughed but his voice held no mirth, merely condescension,

"You've tried so hard to change Frieza and yet it seems he's rubbed off on you as well. You know, maybe now's a good time to tell you another little secret: I have a Dragon Ball." Adalina's eyes widened, "That's right, and it's hidden, and you have no way of finding it. Don't worry, I didn't leave any survivors so there's no way you can ask them where it went either." he smirked devilishly, he was _trying_ to insight her anger, he wanted to beat her at her strongest, his Saiyan pride wouldn't have it any other way.

Adalina's face darkened as the words left his lips, her heart clenching painfully as she thought of how helpless and terrified the Namekians must have been, there were no doubt children there as well, ones just like little Dende...

"You..." she muttered.

"Care to speak up? I can't hear you." he chuckled, "Or are you too shocked that you've completely shut down? It's not like your _precious_ Frieza wouldn't have done the same thing if he didn't have you out getting them."

"What have you become? What did I do wrong?! I tried so hard, and I just..." her eyes began glowing red as she was hit with a wave of an indescribable mix of anger and sorrow.

"Did I strike a nerve? You've kept me in the dark all these years, playing peace keeper with that insufferable lizard! He'll never change his ways, he's only wearing a mask around you, he'll do you no good. I am like this because of him, because you did not intervene enough, did not see it fit to ship me off that miserable space station, because you were too busy trying to fix something that was broken beyond repair. I _will_ have my wish, and _I_ will rule this universe as it is my birthright! Do not bother with your petty mercy, woman. Fight me at full power." he ranted, though his hands had begun involuntarily shaking at the pure weight of Adalina's power, her aura encompassing her in a seething teal glow, and for a second, he almost thought he caught a hint of red.

Rocks and debris began to shake and rattle on the ground as she pushed herself even further, not yet transforming, but resting in her intermediate state. Her scouter had exploded from the exertion and was resting on the ground in a crumpled heap of electronics.

"I did everything I could, and despite your arrogance and foolish banter, I protected you from him as best I could, and it helped, he didn't lay a finger on you past age fifteen, and if I hadn't been there you'd no doubt be worse off." she chuckled, her voice full of sadness, "Perhaps you're right, perhaps you're all right. I'm a fool, a naive fool and despite all you've done today, I'm still going to try and protect you, and I'm still going to go running back to him. Love is a crazy thing, wouldn't you say?"

Vegeta's eyes widened a fraction,

"Love? Such a pathetic emotion to have, that'll get you killed one day."

"So be it, but at least I'll dye knowing I at least tried to make a difference." she charged towards him once more, throwing a right hook at Vegeta's exposed chest, sending him soaring once more.

The fight took to the sky as the Saiyan prince retaliated, whipping out his leg and catching the Zandonian in the ribs, she bent over slightly, in an attempt to protect the sensitive area. He clasped his hands together and brought them down on her back, fully expecting her to be imbedded in the dirt.

She didn't budge.

"You'll have to do better than that." she muttered the words that Frieza had once said to her, and it almost made her sick. She was not like him, no, he wasn't rubbing off on her, she was changing him. Vegeta did have every right to hate Frieza, but the stubborn prince needed to learn to let go.

His eyes widened as she straightened, tears gleaming in her crimson orbs, the entire situation was making her question who's side she was really on, who's side she should be on. She didn't want to hurt him, but was it truly too late for him? Had he chosen his path, his path without any redemption?

No, Frieza was like that, and she had gotten through to him.

But she had watched Vegeta grow up, and growing up for him had been a struggle...an uphill battle, with boulders cascading down on him. He had been forced to build a shell around himself, a shell of pride and egotism. But that didn't give him the right to slaughter helpless people...

He would atone for that.

She fired a ki blast at the Saiyan, catching him off guard as it scorched his armor, not quite strong enough to pierce, but it served its purpose as she decked him right in the face, sending him crashing into a solid plateau.

Vegeta couldn't catch himself as the sturdy rocks crumbled from the force of his impact, giving him small cuts and bruises before he finally landed, his head spinning. She was toying with him, no, that wasn't in her nature, she was trying not to kill him.

She was holding back.

Because she thought him weak.

Adalina gently landed in front of him, her brows furrowed as she glared at him, still conflicted, but knowing that this was something that needed to be done. Perhaps Frieza was right for keeping such an arrogant brat on a lead for so long?

She stopped herself, what was she even thinking? Brat? What had gotten into her?

"Do you give up?"

Vegeta stood tall, narrowing his eyes at her,

"I told you to use your full power...I want you at your best when I beat you and drop your body at Frieza's feet." he spat a glob of blood onto the ground from his busted lip.

"You're all talk Vegeta, I know you could never do that to me... how far you have fallen though. I'll not let you fall any further." she tilted her head, "If you want a fight, I'll give you one, but if I use my full power it won't last very long."

He pulled his arms to his side, flaring his aura,

"Do your worst, I haven't even been at full power." he smirked.

She shook her head and sighed. Why was she born with such a compassionate heart? Was being cold and uncaring truly easier?

* * *

Lilith chuckled as she sat, her pale skin contrasting against the black shadows around her. Her plan was moving splendidly, who knew one of her annoying premonitions would bare fruit? The mighty Frieza, taken down by his most feared enemy, A Super Saiyan. The caring Goku, raised on Earth, wouldn't even realize the repercussions killing Frieza would bring, no, he'd have no idea that he was perpetuating _her_ agenda.

But none of it would happen if that blasted woman was on planet, something her muted vision had warned her of. She needed to be occupied, and perhaps even killed, hence why she had sent her minions to cause a ruckus on one of the tyrant's military reserve planets.

He had fallen right into her trap too, instantly deciding that it would be best if he sent his second off to deal with it due to her increasing resistance to his plans. Too bad that would be the last time he'd see her,

"How sweet.." she said aloud, "Cut down before they can even tell each other how they feel, now _that_ sounds like a romance to me."

She couldn't help feeling a little pride swell in her chest, the Earthlings, some of the strongest warriors in the universe, Adalina, the lone Zandonian warrior, Vegeta, the Saiyan Prince, and Lord Frieza _the_ most powerful being in the known world, would all fall at her feet, taking each other out in her carefully spun web.

Lilith glanced to a ball of inky black shadows, smiling affectionately,

"Soon, my dear, you will once again be able to walk this universe and we will rule it."

* * *

Krillin and Dende landed at the entrance of the Grand Elder's, hoping the old Namek had some answers. The human warrior's insides had been churning from the pure brute force of two ki's clashing off in the distance. One belonged to Adalina, and it was very obvious she was angry at the other power, Vegeta. Perhaps she had stumbled across him killing those helpless villagers?

The entire relationship she had with Frieza and Vegeta both seemed complicated and delicate to him, didn't seem worth it to try and change someone who obviously didn't want to change.

The door to the odd Namekian house slowly levitated up, not held by anything tangible,

"Nail!" Dende called out, grateful to see the warrior still dutifully watching over their father, "If you're here that means nothing has happened to the Grand Elder."

Nail's stoic expression didn't change as he replied, his entire being reminding Krillin of Piccolo, and that in and of itself was enough to make him slightly wary of angering the Namekian,

"Dende, it's good to see you're well. I'm assuming you have come to speak with the Grand Elder?" the little alien nodded, "Very well then, follow me."

Krillin followed the two Namekians, his stomach twisting with a new sensation: anxiety. What if this Grand Elder refused to help them? What if he had no clue of what was going on?

"I am not ignorant to the happenings on our planet, and neither is Elder Guru, I fear the stress is taking its toll on his already fragile health." Nail said solemnly as the stepped into the hut.

They came to stand before a being that seemed exude his wise nature in a warm aura, giving Krillin no reason to be afraid of the old Namek. Guru coughed to the side, clearing his throat as he prepared to speak,

"Dende, my child, it is a pleasure to see you, what brings you here?"

Dende furrowed his brows, the expression so foreign on his youthful features,

"Today, I'm sure you've realized we have had some visitors. I have been guiding Adalina, Frieza's second in command, through the villages so that she may gather the Dragon Balls to revive a planet. But, Krillin is also here to revive his friends, he believes that Adalina is being led astray and kept in the dark." the child explained politely.

"Not to mention Vegeta's here to wish for immortality. I think a big fight is about to break out, and it would be really nice if we had a Dragon Ball in our possession to prevent anyone from getting their wish until this whole mess is sorted out." Krillin rubbed the back of his head, something he did when he was nervous, "Please, if it's within your power."

Guru thought about the situation for a moment, he had indeed felt the evil powers that had landed on his peaceful planet, but they weren't entirely malicious, it was almost as if they had the potential for good, but it was muted somehow. Frieza, he had heard that name many years ago, he was the leader of the Planetary Trade, but if memory served him correctly, his business had strayed from the path of mindless genocide in recent years, and he was sure that this 'Adalina' was the reasoning for it, for her intentions were pure.

"Allow me to see within your memories, Earthling."

* * *

"I don't want to hear your petty excuses, Zarbon." Frieza said coldly as he stared out at the vast Namekian world, his arms behind his back, "I'll be sending her off planet and you will be going with her."

"I apo-"

"Enough! Be grateful that I haven't killed you yet! You will accompany Adalina off planet and _I_ will contact the Ginyu force to deal with any trouble that could arise." he had been trying desperately to contain his anger, but the stress of the situation had finally made him snap as he turned to look at his subordinate, his face contorted in barely contained rage.

"Yes sir, I will go prepare a ship." he said breathlessly, not meeting the fuming tyrant's eyes.

Yes, Adalina had done well with him over the years, had done the impossible, had instilled a sense of calm in him. But it was at times like these when he realized that it was nothing more than a fragile illusion, a mask he wore so that she wouldn't leave him, he was attached to her, with no sense of what true affection was.

He desired her, he wanted to possess her, not love her. But he didn't know the difference, or at least that's how he saw his boss. The lieutenant walked from the room, leaving Frieza alone to decompress. Perhaps he was wrong, perhaps the sadistic man did have a grip on what love was?

Frieza clenched his fists as he felt the world around him begin to crumble, his sense of control slipping. He loathed nothing more than a situation he could not dictate, spiraling into a wild sense of chaos. He would not lose her, not now.

But would she truly leave him? No, he doubted it, she would keep running back to him, no matter what he did it seemed. Love is quite chaotic.

* * *

Adalina cried out as Vegeta managed to put her in a head-lock, effectively blocking the flow of oxygen to her brain. She coughed and sputtered, gripping at his gloved hands. She had made a mistake, she had underestimated the Prince of all Saiyans, something she had made sure to never do.

Vegeta watched as her expressions became less lively, and he felt his hands once again trembling. He had never had trouble killing anyone or anything in his life, why was this so hard?

A memory flashed through his mind,

 _"Vegeta!" Adalina shouted as the child battled with an adversary much stronger than him. It had been one of the missions that Frieza had allowed the Saiyan to go on, with Adalina's monitoring of course. He was broken and beaten, but he hadn't given up._

 _It was admirable, but foolish. He was pushing himself for the sake of his pride and she wouldn't allow him to go any further._

 _"I- I can do this, I can win!" he called out._

 _He weakly dodged the beast's claws as it swiped towards him, but he hadn't moved quick enough. One of the jagged claws caught his arm, opening up a gash. He cried out as he fell to his knees, gripping the bleeding wound._

 _Adalina jumped in, quickly dispatched the enemy with a well aimed ki blast._

 _"I could have won, you didn't have to steal my kill, woman." he spat, wincing slightly._

 _She gave him a hard stare,_

 _"Vegeta, no matter what happens, if you can't win a fight, you need to back down. I don't want you dying because of your pride, it isn't worth it. I won't always be there to save you either."_

 _He turned from her,_

 _"Pah, stupid." he mumbled, but deep down he felt something he hadn't felt in a long while. It was warm, and made him feel like nothing in the world was wrong. She cared for him, she had his back, no matter what..._

She had his back, no matter what.

Adalina powered up and threw the Saiyan off her, her aura erupting in a terrifying show of light, her aura flaring red as she transformed. She needed to finish her business with him quickly and start fixing things once again. Picking up the shattered piece of her world once more.

Black mask slipping into place, she dove for the prince, her speed too fast for him to even _sense_. She spun in and kicked him in the ribs, feeling the bones crush as she no doubt damaged a few internal organs.

She had meant to damage him, to beat him so thoroughly he would need a healing tank,

"Become stronger, Vegeta, and run away from here, and never turn back." she spoke, "I can't fix what I've done, but I can provide you with the necessary tools to leave and star anew, but know this, I don't want to kill you, but if it ever comes down to that, I will, the same can be said for Frieza, I can only look past so much."

Vegeta sputtered as he fell to the ground, coughing up blood and staining the ground crimson,

"Fool...he'll throw you out just like the rest, why can't you see that? All these years I've tried to get through to you..." he faded into unconsciousness, leaving his words ringing in the air.

"Perhaps you're right, Vegeta, I'll never change the universe, it's a cruel and uncaring place, but I'll be damned if I don't fix this situation. I still have hope for you, and I still have hope for him."

But what was hope, in the face of such a cold and uncaring universe?

 _ **A/N: Seems we got a little dark in this one.**_

 _ **I'm sorry if it is a little gloomy, or emotional, it's been one hell of a week. I live in a very small community, and a young girl from my high school was killed in a car wreck. While I didn't personally know her, well, you know how small things are, we all hurt together. It's scary to know that death can still grip our happy town.**_

 _ **And then my significant other and I broke up..it's been one hell of a week guys, sorry if this chapter doesn't make sense. I really feel like I'm repeating myself a lot in this one, but it's hard for me to get a grip on Vegeta's reasoning's, and Adalina's as well.**_

 _ **Anywho, onto some lighter topics, I drew a picture for this chapter specifically, it is on my deviantart: KuroKagamiImeji**_

 _ **Also, as I said, I was going to try and make some form of PV/Opening for this fanfic, so I'll give you a list of songs to choose from (you can suggest your own too!) and I'll let you pick which one you think best fits this fic. The options as of right now are:**_

 _ **Crossfire-Stephen**_  
 _ **Kaleo-Way Down We Go**_  
 _ **Coheed and Cambria-Hush**_  
 _ **Tool-Sober(my personal favorite)**_  
 _ **Tristam- Devotion**_

 _ **Give em' a listen and tell me what you think.**_

 _ **Ooo and things are about to hit the fan in this fic, well, in this arc anyway.**_


	37. Chapter 33

_33_

 _Chapter Thirty Three_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

Adalina released a shaky breath she hadn't known she'd been holding as she looked at Vegeta's still face, his shallow breathing the only indication that he wasn't a corpse. What had she done? She had let her anger get the better of her, and allowed it to cloud her logic. Though perhaps if Frieza proved himself to be no better, she would have a strong ally to defend the Dragon Balls and the Earthlings. Vegeta had been quite the adversary before, and he would no doubt go through Zenkai because of this.

She had faith in him.

But she also wanted to have faith in Frieza.

She cradled the fallen Saiyan and took off at immense speeds, still in her transformed state. She was anxious at seeing the tyrant after his lies had been revealed. She wouldn't have been livid had she not known him. He wanted to become immortal so that he could acquire the Galaxy Staff and rule the universe with an iron fist. Yes, it did stem from his crippling paranoia of being killed, but that was only part of it and even still, it was a selfish desire.

Immortality was an unforgiving, lonely existence and she would not let him make such a mistake.

She touched down not long after her departure, her anger fueling her in some way. She didn't know what she was going to say, hell, she didn't even know if she could stop herself from hitting him.

The door to the spaceship opened without her having to press any buttons, he knew she was there, he was expecting her. Adalina stilled herself and walked into the main hall, her head held high as she took Vegeta to the infirmary, leaving him in the care of Appule.

"What did you do to him? He's in critical condition." the alien asked as he and another soldier positioned the Saiyan in a healing tank.

"I lost my temper." she replied, "He'll be fine though, right?" he had to be, she was relying on him if anything went wrong.

"Maybe, but you better go see Lord Frieza, he nearly took Zarbon's head off earlier."

Adalina took a shaky breath and nodded, leaving the room. He never got angry with Zarbon any more, and that spelled disaster for her.

The door to the throne room hissed open and she stepped in, her brows furrowed and eyes still glowing intensely. She took a deep breath and powered down, reverting back to her base state,

"Why did you lie to me?" she mustered up the courage to ask, "After all we've been through, after all the progress you've made, you revert back to your old conniving ways."

Frieza stiffly turned, his lips turned up in a scowl at her words. He knew he should have kept his wits about him, should have never allowed her to get into his head. But where would they be? Something told him he didn't want it any other way, but at present it was a hindrance.

"I have told you many times that I will do as I please. I have my reasons, and you will not interfere with this matter any longer. I am aware that Vegeta has hidden a Dragon Ball and I am _well_ aware of why the Earthlings are here. I will eliminate all of them if they stand in my way, and _you_ will be going off planet, do I make myself clear?" he coldly explained, any hint of emotion vanishing from his face.

"W-what? No, I'll not let you do this, Frieza it's for your own good. Immortality is a sad existence, and I'm sure living gets old after a time-"

"I don't need a lecture from you. I will be getting my wish, and you will do nothing about it. I am doing this for...oh what is it you say? The betterment of the Universe?" he allowed a small smirk to grace his lips, "It would seem planet 316 is having some trouble with Lilith's cronies, you and Zarbon are going to be dealing with it."

Adalina clenched her fists, knowing that she couldn't tell him no, knowing that it was her duty to stop Lilith...but was it also her duty to _stop him_?

"I swear to you, I will return to this planet as quickly as possible and if I find that you've killed those Earthlings I will make you my sworn enemy." her voice had dropped, allowing him to hear every word in clear contrast with her gentle features. She was dead serious.

Frieza nearly felt his heart stop at the implications of her words, but he brushed them off, positive that he had the situation under control,

"Just get out of here." he waved his hand and turned back to face the window, "Zarbon has already prepared your ship."

She shook her head and turned away from him, knowing it was a futile fight to pick. The situation was becoming more and more complex, and she wasn't sure which side she would be on if it came down to it.

The Zandonian walked down the hall and to the port that contained her personal ship, not entirely sure what to expect from her colleague either. Would he be angry with her? She knew she should be angry with him, but he was only following orders, doing as Frieza said, and no one went against his orders without dire consequences, well, except herself of course.

The door hissed open to reveal Zarbon standing beside the open hatch to the ship, a stern look on his face,

"I apologize for my behavior, Adalina, it seems it has gotten us both in a bind." he released a sigh, "We need to deal with this problem first though. I don't care what Frieza does, but I know that you are very against his plans. I will not help you, but I will not hinder you either."

Adalina smiled at him, the expression not quite reaching her eyes,

"Thank you, Zarbon." she walked past him and into the ship, sitting at the captain's chair. She waited until the green alien was seated beside her before closing the hatch and starting the engines, "Planet 316 is barely ten minutes away from here, if we can get this done quickly, I should have enough to to get back to Namek and prevent him from doing anything brash. Hopefully those humans can hold their own."

"I told you years ago that you should give up this petty dream of yours, and yet you seem surprised." Zarbon commented as she throttled the engines, flying the smaller ship out of the 'mothership'. She checked to make sure the comm. was blocked, so that there was no way the tyrant could eavesdrop.

"You haven't seen what I've seen though. He let me in, Zarbon, he's overprotective of me, he told me things he wouldn't dare tell anyone else. He let down his walls, and if only he'd let me in a little closer.." she trailed off, a sad look in her eyes, "My point is, my plan is working, and I'm not surprised at his plan, just disappointed." she looked off to the side, "Perhaps if I told his aunt what he was doing..." she mumbled, but shook her head.

"That's just it, Adalina, he's like that around you and no one else because he doesn't want to lose you. He has feelings for you, that much is obvious, so I suppose you've won in some form." he sighed, "But I'm warning you now, don't be surprised if you return to find those Earthlings slaughtered."

She furrowed her brows,

"I'll take him out then."

"Could you truly do that? It's obvious that you have feelings for him as well."

"If it's for his own good, and the greater good of the universe, yes." the thought made her stomach churn, could she really? Or would she continue living and perpetuating his evil, selfish desires. No, she would fix him, they had come too far to go back now.

* * *

"Bye bye darling, I'm glad you tried." Meredith smiled brightly as she removed her hand from the chest of some alien or another,she wasn't really interested in what race they were. Though she had to admit, the array of blood color had stained her hair in a near rainbow, but the colors had mixed on her hands, turning them a dark brown.

"I thought you said they'd be here by now!" Daemon yelled over the distant sounds of battle, their army of demons were doing their job splendidly.

"They should be here any minute, be patient and destroy as much as you can in the meantime. You better prepare yourself because this won't be an easy battle." she gripped onto the next creature's neck and used her nails to grip its spinal cord, ripping the appendage up and out of its torso, sending a spray of yellow blood across her face.

"You don't think I know that? Honestly, I'm not sure if our chances are good." he sighed as he slit the throat of another alien, his fingers becoming coated and slippery.

"We only need keep her distracted, killing her was just a bonus, and hopefully she won't kill us. But we've both been training, so who knows? Maybe we're giving her too much credit."

"Perhaps." he mumbled in reply.

* * *

"Goku, you must absolutely NOT pick a fight with Frieza!" King Kai shouted vehemently over their mental connection.

"But why not King Kai? S' not like I can't handle em'! He can't be _that_ strong." the Saiyan argued, his alien heritage jumping at the chance of a difficult fight.

"No, I forbid it Goku! Forget about the Dragon Balls and get your friends home, granted Frieza doesn't destroy the planet, they'll regenerate like the ones on Earth."

Goku furrowed his brows, his memory flashing back to the nice woman that had picked up Vegeta. She was of good heart, he could tell, and he was sure she wouldn't like the tyrant's behavior. According to the call he had received from Gohan and Bulma, it was as if she was being manipulated.

"I'm just gonna talk to him, I'm sure that second in command of his won't let him do anything too terrible. Anyone is capable of change, I think at least, and she's already jump started the process for me." the kind-hearted Saiyan was determined to make everything right, and he hoped that this Lord Frieza could see reason. He couldn't be all that bad if he had such a nice person caring for him.

"Goku, you're a fool." King Kai shook his head, but he could tell he wasn't going to get through to the thick-headed Saiyan.

"Go get him Goku!" Yamcha cheered through the connection, the rest of the deceased Z-fighters also giving him short words of encouragement.

Piccolo sat meditating, a fanged smirk plastered on his face. Goku was never one to back down from a challenge, and this of course was no exception. He only hoped he could be resurrected soon so that he didn't have to spend anymore time on King Kai's little mudball, listening to the Earthlings prattle on about old battles, or their irritating attempts to make the godly being laugh.

"You better get those Dragon Balls, Goku." he mumbled under his breath.

* * *

Adalina and Zarbon zoomed through space, nearing their destination. The destruction was visible from the stars as the closed in,

"Oh my god." Adalina breathed as she saw the burning buildings, "What have they done?"

Zarbon had a hard look on his face,

"They've started something that they cannot finish. Though, something about this seems fishy, almost like they're trying to lure us out."

"A trap?" Adalina prepared for landing, preparing to break through the atmosphere.

"Perhaps, or they could have something planned for his Lordship back on Namek."

Her heart once again felt torn, she couldn't just let Lilith have her way, but then again, she felt as if he needed a taste of his own medicine for once. His maniacal decision making and cold nature had managed to instill a sense of rage in her.

Why couldn't he just accept help? Why couldn't he lead a peaceful, natural life?

 _'Because people are out to get him, because he has made enemies, because he was raised to think that allies were only good when disposable._ ', a small voice whispered in the back of her head.

Her mind flashed to a memory, not long ago,

 _Adalina woke up with a jolt, having had the same nightmare she had been having for a week straight. It always ended with her being killed in some way, and it was always Frieza's fault._

 _"Did you have that inane dream once again?" he questioned, his voice still ridden with sleep._

 _"I did." she answered quietly, she had only woken up screaming one other time, and he had told her to face her fears and conquer them, but that just wouldn't do._

 _Frieza wasn't entirely sure what to do, he had never been good with such things._

 _Adalina took a shaky breath and wrapped her arms around him, tears forming in her tired eyes. He tensed, as he always did when anyone touched him, for touch was something associated with violence..not gentle at all._

 _"I-" he began but she cut him off._

 _"Just promise you'll never kill, or leave me, or make any stupid decisions okay?" she whispered._

 _The raw emotion in her voice was enough to nearly choke him up as he returned the gesture, wrapping his arms and tail around her, just like his mother use to do. He wasn't sure what had suddenly overcome him, but he felt the need to comfort her,_

 _"I give you my word." he replied before releasing her, "Now go back to bed, we have an early day tomorrow." he smirked as he turned away from her._

 _"You're such a tease." she grumbled._

 _He had changed, he still had a few rough edges, but those could be polished out._

Rough edges, that was an understatement. She couldn't deny she was in love with him any longer though, and she would do everything in her power to make every thing right,

"Well, I suppose we'll just have to deal with these problems as they come." she replied as they entered the atmosphere.

 _ **A/N: Sorry for the short update guys, been busy, as usual. Next week is Spring Break though, so expect a long chapter! I loved writing for Adalina in this one, because her mind-set is so confused and jumbled right now. It's a difficult thing to portray, being torn between 'moral' stand points, should she choose to love Frieza despite his betrayal? Or should she choose to help the Earthlings? Or you know, try and do both.**_

 _ **Anywho, I hope you guys enjoyed this 'filler' chapter!**_


	38. Chapter 34

_34_

 _Chapter Thirty Four_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

 _(Warning: Graphic descriptions of violence ahead, viewer discretion is advised)_

"It's chaos here. We need to split up, round up the remaining soldiers and take back the planet." Zarbon instructed as they stepped out of the spacecraft. The surrounding grey landscape was ablaze with hues of red and yellow as fire consumed the sparse buildings. The ground was stained with blood of every color, some spots turning near black from where the colors had mixed so thoroughly. Adalina swallowed the bile that threatened to rise in her throat as she caught wind of the charring corpses and unmistakable scent of a recently dead body evacuating its facilities.

"Let's go then." she replied, the task at hand making her forget all traces of Namek and Frieza, for the situation was much worse than what he was up to, or so she would like to think.

"They're here." Meredith smirked maliciously as she turned to her partner , who returned the expression with fervor, "Shall we go greet our guests?"

"Of course." he replied darkly, his voice dropping, a certain brand of psychotic enthusiasm lacing his words.

Adalina pushed off of the ground and took to the dark skies, taking off in the opposite direction of Zarbon. The planet was small, and she wasn't even sure if certain galaxies would even classify it as such, but it made her life much easier. She narrowed her keen eyes, skimming the droves of dismembered and eviscerated corpses, searching for any sign of life.

She wasn't even aware of what had cropped up until a flash of silver hair knocked her out of the air with a well-aimed kick. The Zandonian caught herself before she hit the ground and glared at the woman floating above her,

"You." she growled out.

"Long time no see darling." Meredith winked as she crossed her arms under her breasts, pushing the mounds up and out in an obvious display of fondness, "How ya' been? Heard you got a little stronger."

"Don't speak so casually to me, is this all a game to you?" Adalina replied, feeling uncomfortable with the woman's presence and flippant attitude.

"I guess you could say that. You gotta' admit, senseless destruction turns you on a bit, doesn't it? You fell in love with a monster who does the same thing, after all."

"You're vile." Adalina looked away, not having the stomach to look the woman in her lustful eyes, "Would you just shut up and fight already?"

Meredith fired a blast of sickly yellow light from her dark fingertips, causing Adalina to turn her head and dodge it,

"Gladly, but just know, I won't kill you, not immediately, I want to have fun." she pouted, and launched herself at the other woman.

* * *

"Oh, look, it's you again, didn't quite learn your lesson did you?" Daemon asked smugly as Zarbon stood before him.

"If I remember correctly, it was you who fell on your own blade. How could anyone be wary of such a clumsy fighter?" the green alien smirked as he flipped his long braid over his shoulder.

Daemon growled viciously, his upper lip curling to reveal deadly sharp fangs, his eyes glowing in iridescent red,

"I've gotten stronger, have you?" he asked and then launched himself at Zarbon.

Frieza's elite warrior smirked as he threw up a block, his entire body morphing into a grotesque shape as he transformed,

"What do you think?" he questioned in a much deeper voice.

Daemon's eyes widened as he momentarily lost his composure,

"No, I won't let you win."

* * *

Vegeta's eyes opened abruptly as he stared through the green liquid in the healing tank. His mind was still fuzzy on the events that had transpired earlier. He hadn't been out long, that much was for certain. He took a deep breath through the mask on his face and contemplated what his next move would be.

The Dragon Balls were definitely on ship, and if he could cause a distraction... yes, that would work nicely in his favor.

Appule suddenly appeared in his line of sight, prating on about medical things he didn't care for. The look on the alien's face when he blasted through the tank was priceless, it was even sweeter when he tried begging for his life.

The proud Saiyan prince dispatched the cowardly alien with a ki blast and made his way to the hall as quietly as he could.

Frieza rushed down the hall with a new found fervor, he knew it was Vegeta, and knew that the miserable monkey was plotting against him. He jumped back as a blast made its way through the ship, destroying the main engines and charring any soldier that had been it its path. He growled as he ran towards the med bay, all manner of violent thoughts running through his mind.

Vegeta ran in the opposite direction of Frieza's power level, sneaking his way into the throne room. His assumption had been correct as his eyes landed on the orange spheres gathered in the center of the room.

A smirk found its way onto his lips as he chuckled.

* * *

Meredith back-flipped over a ki blast but was caught a powerful knee strike from Adalina, it was no use, the Zandonian was simply too strong, too fast in her transformed state. She would have to pull a few things out of her sleeves if she were to even survive the encounter.

Adalina elbowed the woman in her face as she spaced out,

"Pay attention! I don't want to kill you, if you promise to leave now and never give us trouble, then I'll stop." the kind-hearted woman explained.

Meredith smirked and wiped a dribble of crimson blood from her lips,

"You really are naive, aren't you? That'll get you killed on day, sweety." she murmured, her voice merely a whisper on the wind, "Would you like to see my knew trick? I'm sure you'll love it."

Adalina became wary as a phantom wind kicked up dirt at her feet, caressing her hair gently,

"What are you-"

"Umbra." she stated calmly.

The woman was suddenly engulfed in inky blackness that spread out around the two of them. Adalina was completely blind, any trace of light had been snuffed out, and she had no idea where Meredith was. A sudden force caught her off guard as she was pushed to the ground, with no perceived threat in sight.

This was very bad.

A foot that she couldn't see planted itself on her chest a pressed down, the bones underneath creaking and straining. Adalina coughed and rolled over violently to dislodge the phantom appendage. No sooner had she done that did she feel fingers wrap around her throat, and a distinct weight rest itself on her torso.

The fingers tightened ever so slightly,

"Don't worry, I'm only gonna knock you out, so we can have fun later." Meredith's voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.

Adalina coughed and sputtered, clawing at fingers she couldn't see nor grab.

* * *

Zarbon tossed the much smaller man through a cliff facing, shattering the black rocks on impact. He stomped over to the fallen demon and stood above him as he stood, dusting his cloak off. His face was bruised and bloody, proof of his inferiority in the face of such a challenging adversary.

"That's all you have? Not much fun at all." Zarbon chuckled, "I'm going to end this quickly."

"Ah-ah." Daemon called out, "I'm not the only one you're dealing with; soldiers!" he shouted as he spread his arms out. Hundreds and hundreds of small, black, grotesque beings crawled from every direction, snickering and chattering as they looked upon their prey.

"What?!" Zarbon explained.

"Let's have fun, shall we?"

 _ **A/N: Super short chapter is short, but I was really busy again this week, BUT, I AM NOW ON SPRING BREAK, AND MY PERCUSSION STUFF IS OVER WITH. I have a lot of free time now, so expect a longer chapter next week!**_

 _ **EDIT: WE HAVE HIT 200 REVIEWS, ASK AWAY MY MINIONS! Your questions will be featured in next chapter, which I may or may not update early.**_

 _ **Also, I tried a more descriptive style of writing this time, let me know if you like it. Oh, and I'm not sure if I should change the rating because of it, but I might have to.**_

 _ **Until next time!**_


	39. Chapter 35

_35_

 _Chapter Thirty Five_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

Krillin sped through the air at top speed, his power boost making him forget that he should be hiding himself from the forces that be. He held the one star Dragon Ball tightly in his clutches, careful not to drop it,

"Wait til' I get Gohan back to Guru! If I'm this strong I can only imagine what it'll do to a half Saiyan." he lamented gleefully, perhaps this meant they had a chance now? Though he was wary, he had felt Adalina's power level leave the planet, scary thing was, he could still feel her battling with something.

He only hoped whatever she was dealing with had nothing to do with Namek.

Vegeta's head whipped up as he felt a power level soar by him, no doubt one of the Earthlings, though whoever it was had got a substantial power boost, no matter, it still wasn't enough to keep up with him.

He looked in the direction it was coming from, and sure enough came the bald one, with a Dragon Ball in his grasp. He chuckled as he stood from his seat on one of the large spheres, seeing no problem with leaving them unguarded...he was about to kill the only ones who had a radar after all.

* * *

"Damn it!" Frieza's tail slammed down with enough force to crack the metal flooring, "Go out and find him and when you do, report back to me, failure is not an option do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir, Frieza sir!" Craw saluted haughtily. The bird-like soldier had long since climbed the ranks in Frieza's army ever since he had picked a fight with his second in command. He wasn't nearly as strong as one of the elites, but he was the strongest on the ship, besides Frieza at that moment.

The man left hastily at Frieza's impatient glare, not wanting to face the tyrant's renewed temper. He was usually in a state of content irritation when dealing with his subordinates, but with the recent dents in his plan, he was reverting to his old ways.

He wished it was that bitch Adalina he had been sent after, he wouldn't mind swinging a few hits at her. He had never liked her and had never liked bowing to such an inferior looking _woman_. Then again, Vegeta was a pompous ass and needed to be knocked down a few notches. He would never admit it, but Craw was very much outclassed by the Saiyan, and he didn't care, he was going to confront him either way.

Frieza watched him go, knowing very well he was subsequently feeding the lower level soldier to the dogs. No matter, he would inform him of Vegeta's precise location so that the Ginyu force could land right next to him and retrieve his Dragon Balls. He knew that things would go much faster if he went on the field himself, but such grunt work was beneath him. And besides, Adalina had warned him not to kill anyone, and he wouldn't if he could help it.

That didn't mean he couldn't order his soldiers to do so for him.

He chuckled darkly, yes, he would get his way no matter the circumstance. That's how it had always been.

"Lord Frieza, we will be landing shortly." Captain Ginyu called over the comm.

"Do make haste, we haven't got time to dawdle." Frieza replied in an authoritative tone.

* * *

Zarbon shredded his way through soldier after soldier but they just kept coming, almost as if they were multiplying. He growled in frustration as Daemon sat high above him in the air, laughing at the alien's predicament.

"Cut as many of them down as you'd like, they'll just keep coming back." he tilted his head and smirked, "Oh and try not to get any of the stuff on ya' or they'll just smother you. Woops, did I say that too late?"

Zarbon released a surprised yell as the black goo that had gathered on his skin began to shift and undulate, pulsing like one living being. He felt them begin creeping along his body, determined to crush him it would seem.

He clawed at the mass in a vain attempt to removed them, but to no avail. His mind began racing, thinking of the battle he had engaged in thus far, trying to think if any particular attack had been effective in keeping the little shits down.

His eyes widened as the monsters managed to make him revert to his natural state, but he didn't care, he had discovered their weakness.

* * *

Adalina had nothing to rely on, not one of her senses was helping her in any way, it was as if she were completely isolated. She danced around, hopefully moving too fast for Meredith to keep up, but she truly had no way of telling. She was in the dark, literally.

"Run rabbit run." the demoness cackled, "You'll tire yourself out eventually." she wasn't wrong, not one bit, Adalina's aching muscles could attest to that. She was flying around at top speeds, not worrying about the amount of strain she was putting on her ki or body.

Meredith watched on with a morbid fascination, trying to decide if she was ready for the next phase of her attack. On the one hand it could halt her pointless attempt at escape, but on the other it was also entertaining to watch her exhaust herself.

But she wouldn't have the energy to scream once the torture started, at this rate.

Meredith chuckled and waved her hands in front of her, constructing an elaborate illusion to distract the Zandonian.

"Adalina!" a familiar authoritative voice called out. It was abrasive and belayed the speaker's obvious irritation, but she didn't care. She didn't care about Namek, or his lies, all she cared about was _escape_.

"Frieza! I didn't think I'd be glad to see you so soon but I'm so happy you're here." but the eyes she met with were cold and uncaring, calculating. It was almost like when they had first met, only this time, he seemed to feel nothing at all towards her.

"Why would you be _happy_ to see me? Surely you haven't forgotten our argument, not that it would matter now anyway, I was granted my wish. The humans, of course, begged for their lives in a rather pitiful display, but in the end they were merely a nuisance. I've come here to tie up a few _loose ends_." he smirked devilishly, his dark lips contrasting against his stark white teeth.

"W-what?" Adalina stammered, taking a step back, "You're really going to kill me? After all we've been through, I thought...I thought that the feelings I had were mutual, don't you feel anything for me?", it was as if her worst fears had come true, that all those years she had spent, paranoid, thinking that he was manipulating her for some greater nefarious purpose, had come crashing down on her.

He chuckled but that soon turned into a full-on cackle as he reared his head back, his laugh piercing her to the core,

"Feel anything for you? No of course not, how stupid of you to think that I, Lord Frieza, strongest being in the universe would feel anything for a low-level wench such as yourself. I kept you around in hopes you would be helpful, and it seems I was correct, your presence is what allowed me to gather the Dragon Balls. Now that I am immortal, however, it will be impossible for anyone to defeat me, which means that I don't need you, or anyone else for that matter." he took a step towards her, and she did not move.

Adalina's eyes filled with tears and they began spilling over her cheeks, her knees buckled as the tyrant closed the distance and wrapped a delicate hand around her neck, black finger-nails digging into her skin,

"You bastard," she choked out as he slowly increased the pressure of his hold, "I always knew something like this could happen, and yet I trusted you. You hear me, I _trusted_ you. I was a fool, a blind fool."

Meredith cackled as she dissipated the illusion, her hand still wrapped around the Zandonian's throat,

"Yes you are my dear." she replied sweetly, "Oh the fun I'm going to have with you."

Adalina glared at the darker skinned woman, furious that she had fallen into such a trick, but deep down, she was happy, happy that Frieza truly hadn't said any of it. Her world was fading, and she knew that the situation couldn't amount to anything good, but she was strong, and cunning, she would find a way out of it.

Her body went limp and Meredith immediately relinquished her hold and dissipated the shadows around them. She picked up the lilac-colored woman and casually sauntered over to a sturdy-looking building. Once inside she found an intact room that looked as if it had once been a conference room, with its large table.

She laid the woman down on the large piece of furniture and pulled a black tool kit from the recesses of her shadows, her eyes widening as she pulled out a pair of energy cuffs. Oh yes, she was going to have quite the time with this one.

* * *

Lord Cooler, eldest son of King Kold, sat in his throne on-ship, nervously coiling his tail as they approached planet 316. They had detected high levels of activity on the planet, and Arctica had confirmed that it was demon activity using the new energy system their scientists had recently finished. It would seem Adalina had been sent to deal with the problem, along with Zarbon, which left him to worry about what was occupying his brother on Namek.

He scoffed, Frieza was no doubt after the mythical Dragon Balls and saw that as his main priority. His brother was brash and quite immature underneath his polite, intelligent demeanor, and he certainly wasn't fit to have any sort of responsibility.

"Lord Cooler, we will be landing shortly, what are our orders for engagement?" Salza questioned politely, bent in a slight bow out of respect for his master.

"We will assess the situation when we land, it isn't likely Adalina is having trouble, but there's always a chance. If she requires assistance she will get it." he replied, trying to sound as reserved and professional as possible, but the numbers didn't lie; Adalina's power had suddenly dropped off of his map, and it would seem Zarbon was only barely holding on. He liked the young woman and the effect she had on his younger brother, he didn't want anything happening to her.

"I'm sure she's fine, she's a tough woman, stronger than any of us certainly." Salza chuckled, he had only met Adalina a few times in passing, but what he had saw had left a permanent impression. She had stood up to that damned tyrant, and showed no fear around him. Subordinates should respect their superior, not fear them, and she was doing well at showing him that.

"I hope you're right." Cooler replied solemnly.

* * *

"I-I'm a little surprised you risked trying to track us down!" Krillin shouted in a false bravado, attempting to hide the trembling in his voice.

"Then you're a fool, I tend to strive when the stakes are high, but for now let's dispense with the chit-chat; I believe you have something of mine and if you value your life you would do well to return it." Vegeta threatened in a low voice, "I spared you once, and if you don't want to end up like that miserable soldier you'll heed my words."

Krillin gulped as he remembered how effortlessly Vegeta had dispatched the bird-like creature, ramming a neatly gloved hand straight through his middle and obliterating all evidence. But no matter how hard he tried, the hero in him would never give away the location of the final Dragon Ball,

"I have no idea what you're talking about." he stammered, trying desperately to keep his cool.

"Well then, let's see how far you're willing to take this little act." Vegeta smirked as he powered up and took a fighting stance. The monk silently plead for any sort of intervention, anything to spare his life in the face of such a monster. There was no way he wanted to die again.

Vegeta advanced slowly, like a predator stalking his prey, smirk still planted firmly on his face. His attention was suddenly broken as he felt a huge power level surface behind him,

"What..?" he narrowed his eyes, "Is that where Kakarot's brat ran off too? Perhaps that's where you're hiding the Dragon Balls?"

"No, it's uh," too late, Vegeta had already taken off, "Damn it Vegeta wait!" he shouted after the speedy Saiyan.

The two warriors landed within seconds of each other, Nail blocking the Prince's path,

"You'll go no further." he stoically stated.

A huge power increase suddenly enveloped the surrounding area, causing Krillin to smile and release a small cheer, they would be just fine with Gohan's power increase!

"Oh I see, Kakarot himself must be holed up in there," he glowered at the oddly shaped hut and held up his hand, fully prepared to blow a hole in it, "Come out and face me you coward!"

Gohan stilled himself and put on a brave face, puffing his chest out and making sure his body held no trace of fear as he stepped through the open door, much to the surprise of Vegeta.

The Saiyan took a moment to scrutinize the young boy before bursting into a fit of laughter,

"What so you think after whatever trick you pulled you're strong enough to clash with me? You're still light-years away from being able to tangle with someone who knows how to fight boy."

Gohan grit his teeth and remembered how scared he had been when he had run into the Saiyan prince on his way back from the massacred village, he had spared him only because he was elated, but something told him that his giving streak was over.

Nail took a deep breath and stepped forward, glaring at the short man before him. He had no sense of right and wrong, only of himself, but even beneath that he could sense a heart capable of change, a heart that had been softened, no doubt by the woman Dende spoke of.

Dende suddenly burst from the door, panic written on his face,

"Wait, stop! Elder Guru said that there is a high power level on its way right now!" the Namekian child called out, hands outstretched in a plea for truce.

Gohan's face lit up,

"It's dad, it has to be!" he exclaimed jovially, "It can't be anyone else."

Krillin, however, wasn't so convinced,

"I don't know Gohan, it feels like there are multiple energies.." his hands once again began trembling.

Vegeta's eyes widened as he counted five distinct readings,

"No..no way, Frieza's called the Ginyu force.." he suddenly grabbed Gohan by the collar and hoisted him up, "Listen here you little runt, you're going to give me the Dragon Balls so that I can wish for immortality, because it's the only shot we've got."

"N-no way!" the half-Saiyan managed to stammer out, "How do we know you're not lying?"

Vegeta growled,

"Listen, they're much stronger than I am, and if I'm correct, Frieza must have sent Adalina off planet and she would have been our only hope." his chest tightened at the mention of her, he wondered what she would think of him now? Teaming up with the Earthlings, "Making me immortal is our only chance."

"Why can't we make Gohan immortal?" Krillin fired back, not comfortable with bestowing such power on the egotistical Saiyan.

"Because he isn't skilled enough! It would be like sending a rabbit to the front lines!" he retorted.

"What of our friends? That's why we came here in the first place." Gohan wouldn't give their only chance to revive Mr. Piccolo to such an awful person.

"The Dragon is capable of granting three wishes." Nail interrupted, "The powers that are coming towards the planet are nefarious in purpose, you best make your decision."

Vegeta eyed the Earthlings in turn, trying to gauge their reactions.

Krillin took a deep breath and expelled it slowly,

"Alright, but you have to promise not to lay a finger on any of our friends."

"Yes, deal, now let's hurry!"

* * *

Frieza smirked broadly, Vegeta had moved from his initial spot but the Ginyu's had advanced scouters, they would be able to find him no matter what. He only hoped he would lead them straight to his Dragon Balls.

He was keeping to his word by staying out of the conflict entirely, it wasn't like _he_ was killing the Earthlings, so Adalina wouldn't have a leg to stand on. A cold weight settled in his stomach, an emotion he had come to realized as guilt. He knew what he was doing was wrong, he knew that Adalina wouldn't approve of what he was doing, and he knew he shouldn't care. Everything would smooth itself out. She would forgive him, as he always had.

"Blasted woman, I should have never fallen for her charm." he spat before taking a long draught of his wine.

Things were once again falling into his favor, but he had a nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right.

An incoming call shocked him out of his thoughts. He answered and wasn't even able to get a word in,

"Frieza you self-entitled little brat! I cannot believe you, are you aware of what's happening on planet 316? Of course you are but are you aware that Adalina's power reading has nearly vanished!?" Arctica shouted over the HUD.

Frieza's blood ran cold as her words hit him,

"What gives you the right to address me in such a manner?" he snapped to cover his distress, "Calm yourself and tell me what's going on."

Arctica glared at him, but was used to his abrasive nature,

"The scientists were able to create a device that tracks the demon's energy signatures, and of course that means we were able to track them to _your_ planet. I sent Cooler out to provide back up and here I learn you're on Namek following some stupid myth, and you sent Adalina out to deal with two of Lilith's top generals! Of course Zarbon is there but how much help can he be?" she ranted, her chest rising and falling dramatically as her anger crescendoed.

Frieza wanted to ask her how she knew so much about their common enemy but instead settled for indignant anger,

"How dare you go behind my back and send Cooler out to deal with a problem on _my_ territory!" he shouted, "Adalina is perfectly capable of handling hersel-"

"I sent him because you're obviously too caught up in yourself to be of any use. She's in danger, but don't you worry your little head, your brother will save her." she cut the call short, not wanting to hear anymore of his heinous excuses.

Frieza fumed as the screen went blank, he was conflicted. No, he couldn't leave the planet, not with so much at stake, he would have to rely on his brother to make sure no harm befell his second, and that sickened him. Was it really worth it?

Was it worth it to ignore the bigger problems, in lieu of his own desires?

 _ **A/N: Finally getting into the meat of this arc! Yes, Adalina will not be present during the Ginyu saga, but trust me, she'll be back on Namek soon enough, and she won't be very happy either!**_

 _ **Anywho, I promised you guys a Q/A so here goes, I will also be answering questions next chapter, just in case any of you missed last weeks update!**_

 _ **Nottomention: Yes, Adalina will be returning to Namek, and she may or may not be getting a little power-up!**_  
 _ **Asteria8: I can't really say if the story will have a happy ending or not yet, as I'm not sure how I want to end it yet. King Kold will be making a return, he's way too strong not to. Yes, I will be including other DBZ sagas and maybe even S sagas, who knows. Kain will have a bigger role much later on.**_

 _ **Arthur101SueEllen: I am very much a cat person! I'm not big on sweets, but I like pie more because it's more sour than sweet sometimes, like cherry pie. Meow! And of course I'll check your story out! I'm also very sorry to hear that you're having a rough time right now, but believe me, it'll get better!**_

 _ **Anywho, that's it for questions, if I missed anyone please yell at me and call me an idiot. I will be answering more questions next week so ask away! Until then, thank you for reading guys,**_

 _ **And please ignore any grammatical errors in this, I will fix them tomorrow I promise.**_


	40. Chapter 36

_36_

 _Chapter Thirty Six_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

In times of dire stress, one's body will shut down completely, and go into shock, in a vain attempt to protect them, to prevent them from losing their minds and falling into an abyss that they are unable to climb out of. This is not the case for certain warriors, for their mentality is far too strong, forcing them to wade through everything happening to them. This is not always a bad thing, for it leaves their mind capable of constructing a valid solution to the problem.

But it's also not the most ideal situation...

Adalina released a hiss of pain through clenched teeth, trying desperately not to look at what the woman was doing to her. She had awoken, bound by her hands and legs to a large table and stripped to her under-garments. The restraints were odd things and seemed to melt into the smooth surface of the table.

"Aww you're no fun, I haven't even gotten a good scream out of you yet. Guess I'll have to try harder." Meredith pouted as she held a scalpel in front of her face, dripping with magenta colored blood, "As a side note, you have the prettiest color of blood I've ever seen.." she ran her tongue along the cold blade, lapping up the warm droplets before they hit the floor.

"You won't break me." Adalina stated defiantly, though her eyes told a different story, one of absolute terror of the uncertainty she felt, the lack of control she had on the situation. Her mind had attempted to lure her to another time, another time where she _had_ broken, and had spent years picking up the pieces, but she wouldn't have it, wouldn't allow it to get to her.

She tugged on the odd glowing restraints again, but they wouldn't budge, it was almost as if...

"They're specifically designed to drain your 'ki' or whatever you call it, and your vitality. Basically they keep you weak enough so you can't escape, but not so much that you aren't wide awake." she chuckled sinisterly and grabbed Adalina by the chin, tilting her head down, "Go ahead and take a look at my handy-work why don't you, it's rude to ignore me so much you know?",she mock pouted.

The Zandonian clenched her teeth as she looked upon the cuts covering her stomach in varrying patterns, some of them deep enough to need stitches. She hadn't felt light-headed until that moment, and she supposed it had something to do with actually _seeing_ the amount of blood that had coated her skin and the smooth surface of the table.

"Go to hell." she spat.

"I got kicked out." Meredith's eyes went dark as she blandly stated the obvious, "How do you like your toe nails? They seem very manicured and well kept, it would be a shame if someone were to rip them off, wouldn't you think?"

Adalina's eyes widened as the volumtuous woman pulled out a tool that looked as if it were specifically designed for the task she had out-lined,

"No, please, not that, anything but that." she pleaded, not above begging in the least.

"Yes, beg more and more, show me how pitiful the proud warrior really is." she cackled as Adalina squirmed, trying every which way to get away from the woman and her dastardly tools. It was no use, there was no escaping.

It had been quite some time since she had felt so helpless, not even in Frieza's early years had he elicited such a response from her, because she had always been in a position to defy him and stand her ground.

With one slow jerk a pained scream filled the room, one she had bit back the entire time, but could no longer contain. It was excruciating, and unlike any pain she had felt before. It wouldn't have been as bad, had it been pulled off quickly. But no, the woman had taken her time and made her feel every fiber tear away from the skin.

Adalina released a slew of curses in her native tongue and glared at the woman through the tears forming in her eyes, wasn't anyone going to come save her?

She bit her lip, no, she had to save herself, because odds are, Zarbon was faring no better, and she sure as hell couldn't rely on Frieza. She tried telling herself that it was only because he had no way of knowing what was going on, but that wasn't true. She knew, somewhere deep down, that even if he did know, he wouldn't leave his precious Dragon Balls.

* * *

Zarbon fired Ki blast after Ki blast, finding that the monstrosities disintegrated when introduced to the light. Daemon watched on in amusement, not making any attempt to stop him, after all, he was merely distracting the soldier from what was happening to his superior.

Yes, Meredith had informed him of her _catch_. and nothing was going to get in the way of all the fun she was having.

The affeminite alien had long lost his scouter, so he had no way of contacting any back-up or communicating with Adalina. He hadn't seen nor heard from her since they had landed, and that gave him cause for suspicion. Whenever she fought, the sonic booms and sound of clashes could be heard through out the planet. It was silent other than the sounds of his own battle.

"Come down here and fight, or are you too cowardly?" he shouted as he caught site of the demon standing above the action on a cliff, a devious smirk planted firmly on his face.

"Oh no, i'm just enjoying watching this mess unfold, but bravo on finding the soldiers' weakness. They're quite expendable though, if I need more I can simply call upon them, and they'll be here." he chuckled, "It's like a neverending loop, and you're stuck in the middle."

Zarbon growled and leapt from the crowd of advancing demons and pulled back a punch, aiming it directly at Daemon's face. The demon's eyes widened as he tried to dodge, but it was no use, Zarbon was much faster, and much more skilled.

The hit connected with a satisfying crack, he had definitely broken something.

Daemon confirmed his thoughts when he looked up, black blood pouring from his nose,

"That was a cheap shot!" he shouted vehemently.

Zarbon shrugged,

"There's no such thing as a cheap shot in battle."

* * *

Cooler growled as Arctica filled him in on Frieza's behavior

"That self-entitled brat! He only cares about himself and his childish little dream!" he clenched his hands, "I'm landing right now."

"Hurry, I'm worried about her." Arctica sighed, "That Frieza.."

"I'll contact you when I have more information."

Arctica nodded solemnly,

"You best." and with a click the call was ended.

"Lord Cooler, we're breaking through the atmosphere!" Doore called out over the comm., "Everyone, make sure you're grounded!"

Cooler wrapped his tail around the base of his throne, just as a precaution, it was something he had always done. He had always been the more level-headed out of the princes, always thinking ahead and never underestimating someone's power or ability. He believed in making as many allies as possible, while still being cunning enough to know if they were conspiring against him or not.

Frieza was the opposite, holding everyone at an arm's length, using them as stepping stones to rise to power, and disposing of them when they were no longer useful. But he was different with Adalina, she had managed to make him realize that allies and connections were useful in such a cruel world.

But he was still selfish, and Cooler had foolishly gotten his hopes up.

No matter what, his own well-being and desires would always come first, no matter if the one person he seemed to care for the most was in danger.

In that sense, he really did think of her as more of a possession, rather than a person.

"He hasn't a clue how love or relationships work, he was never one to pay attention to something so petty, though who am I to criticize him? I'm the same way, surely." he thought aloud as the ship rocketed through the atmosphere of the chaotic planet.

* * *

"Ah yes, Ginyu, I should have called you in the first place." Frieza commented gleefully.

"It's my job." the Captain replied proudly, "If I may ask, where is the Second?"

Frieza resisted the urge to snap at the man, he was only asking a question after all,

"Off planet." he snipped shortly, so as to warn him not to press the subject.

Ginyu had suspicions, but did not ask his boss to elaborate. The woman probably didn't want their Lordship to receive his wish, what with her useless morals and prying eyes.

"I left the rest of the force to deal with those pests for you as well."

A malicious smile broke out on the tyrant's face,

"Excellent." but deep down, something tugged within him, something told him to drop the entire situation, that it wasn't worth the life of the woman he had kept at his side for so many years, nor was it worth having her against him. He stared into the orange orbs, his conflicted expression reflecting in all seven.

He knew something was up, but he also knew that his brother was handling it.

He didn't like it.

But he also didn't like the idea of leaving the planet.

Something wasn't right on his end of the battle either.

* * *

Adalina had given up on screaming, her voice was much too raw and it was clear it was doing no good. She had resorted to biting the inside of her lips, to the point of drawing blood, not that she hadn't lost a lot of it anyway, what was a little more going to hurt?

"I'd move onto your fingers, but, your nails are just too pretty to mess up, no, I think I'll move onto something a lot more interesting." Meredith looked over her palette of tools, scrutinizing each one and pondering their intended use. She finally stopped on a metal disc of some sort with a symbol carved on the end of it, not unlike the ones she associated with the demons, "This is what we call a pentagram, but it's also the symbol of my master, if I brand it on you, we'll be able to show up where ever you are in an instant, isn't that fun?"

Adalina was much too exhausted to retort the woman, or even bother struggling any longer, even as she held a ball of ki to the metal, super-heating the iron,

"You're plan won't work." the Zandonian whispered, "I'm a lot stronger than you and Frieza's a lot stronger than Lilith, you have no chance."

"Oh sweety, if he cared about you or what we were doing, don't you think he'd be here? You're worthless to him, and you know it. Love and relationships are pointless, they hold no true meaning when power is at play. It's impossible for someone to care fo another more than they care for themselves. Now, hold still, I promise it'll hurt a lot." she winked non chalantly, even after the proverbial bomb she had just dropped.

The brand touched the already marred skin of her abdomen and thoroughly jolted her back into action with its excruciating heat. She screamed and shruggled against her restraints, pulling with all her might as her skin melted and charred.

Meredith pulled the brand away and studied her handy work before tossing the tool to an unknown corner to cool,

"Now to carve it even deeper." her malicious smirk spread into a full-blown grin as she held a black dagger up. She touched the tip of the blade to the fresh burn and began cutting, eliciting the best scream she had heard yet, "Scream all you want but your little boyfriend is never going to hear you, nor would he even care." she cackled.

Adalina screamed, and fought to escape, and as she did, she could feel something sliding into place, something about to _click_.

Her aura flared to life in a blinding light, knocking her tormentor away.

Her mind went blank.

 _ **A/N: Short chapter, but I have an audition for college coming up, so I've been focusing on it a bit! Whatever could have happened, bum bum bum, you'll have to find out next week. And I'm sure you may have noticed, I changed the rating, in part because of this chapter and furture ones to come, I hope that doesn't drive anyone away.**_

 _ **More questions:**_

 _ **Asteria8: The other hadn belongs to Lilith!**_  
 _ **Ninja Girl: Yes, they will be getting together, that's the point of this story. Frieza and Adalina will have a major fight in the near future. I update on Mondays if I can help it.**_  
 _ **Meeks: I may have a little something planned ;)**_  
 _ **Garaalover1: I'm not entirely sure yet.**_


	41. Chapter 37

_37_

 _Chapter Thirty Seven_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

Earth's warriors and the lone Saiyan prince bravely adjusted their heads towards their newest opponent. Guldo had been decapitated, his motionless body still gurgling with alien blood as it stained the ground purple. Recoome had just finished one of his inane dances, and Vegeta had decided he had had enough.

The Prince powered up with a yell, his power-level sky-rocketing and shocking those with scouters,

"His power level just shut up by over thirty thousand!" Jeice exclaimed

"It's still not enough to contest with Recoome." Berter smirked in reply to his shorter comrade .

Vegeta launched forward with a flurry of attacks, punching and kicking the larger man. It was almost too fast to keep up with, by the Earthling's standards at least. It was as if every single discrepancy and misfortune the Saiyan had suffered thus far was pouring from him in a sea of rage and raw power. He was giving it all he had, not giving the Ginyu Force member any time to retaliate.

He fired one large blast, something he thought to be a finishing move.

The dust settled and the smiling, completely indecent Recoome stood proud, not phased in the least.

The hearts of the Earthling, Halfling, and Prince all sank as they realized the predicament they were in.

* * *

Baphomet stood, observing his handy work as roiling shadows engulfed the last village of Namekians,

"And those damned brutes are too busy fighting to even realize what's going on here."

Yes, Lilith had sent him to the planet to remove any chance of Frieza getting his wish before he could be defeated. No Namekians, no password, no immortality. Piece of cake.

"Baph! I'm requesting back-up, like, yesterday!" Daemon shouted through their mental connection, "This chicks gone crazy!"

Baphomet pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, he was sure he had cleared the entire planet, but something was nagging at him to do a double-check.

Eh, it was probably nothing.

"I'm on my way." he replied, "Damn brutes and their thick heads and horrible timing." he mumbled as he faded into shadows.

* * *

Frieza stared at the orbs in puzzlement; why would they refuse to submit to his desire?

He tried to think of a feasible solution, scanning every piece of information he had come across on the miserable mud-ball. Did it have something to with that miserable woman? Perhaps the Dragon was capable of sensing his purpose and deemed it dishonorable?

Adalina's face popped into his head, smiling and uncaring,

"They probably have a password." she said, almost mockingly.

Of course they would have a password or some special ritual that only they knew of.

Ginyuu clicked a button on his scouter, the sound resonating loudly between the two in the eerie silence. The device beeped and spluttered as it searched for the energy readings of the Namekians, struggling to grab hold on anything,

"Lord Frieza sir, it, uh, appears that there a _re no_ Namekians." the purple alien gulped as he continued searching, nervous of his Lord's explosive temper.

"What?! How cant his be?" how could they have all died, unless Vegeta had gotten to them earlier, but that wouldn't make any sense, the boy was smart enough to no doubt come to the same realization he had. Something was right.

Ginyu's scouter screamed, alerting him to three power levels off in the distance that matched the Namekians',

"Wait my lord! There are three power levels that way!"

Frieza ground his teeth to prevent himself from lashing out at his annoying elite and clicked his scouter in the direction indicated. Some form of relief flooded him, but he still had a nagging feeling that the sudden disappearances had something to do with those damn demons.

He quietly reminisced about the day he had nearly killed Adalina when he had realized his feelings for her, she had returned from a mission investigating missing populaces. The culprit had been Baphomet, one of Lilith's cronies.

"Damn it all, this entire plan is crumbling!" he mumbled to himself.

* * *

Zarbon held the demon above him, his fingers gripping Daemon's pale neck intensely,

"Go ahead, call for reinforcement, if it's the coward Vegeta face on the ship then I'll have no problem." Zarbon smirked, emphasizing his point by squeezing a little tighter.

"Idiot, I'm not calling reinforcement for you, I'm calling it in for that little comrade of yours!" he spluttered, panic clear in his tone, "From the looks of it, you might want to run scared as well!"

A roar caught the attention of both men as they turned their heads towards the sky to see the approaching ship breaking through the atmosphere,

"Frieza? No, that's Cooler's ship!" Zarbon exclaimed, forgetting the honorifics he was suppose to be using, the situation had just become much more complicated. Why was he here? What could possibly be going on.

The hair on his neck stood up as a large explosion rippled across the land, he wasn't gifted in the art of sensing ki, but he could _feel_ the fight that was coming right towards him. It was like the rare time Lord Frieza had demonstrated what he was capable of. It couldn't be the gentle Second, could it?

Meredith panicked as she tried to bring the woman under control and throw her into darkness once more, but the sphere continually shattered under the sheer force of her power. Why hadn't she thought ahead? Why hadn't she been warned that this freak of nature transforms under immense stress?

Adalina's angered visage was high-lighted by the red, billowing aura she was surrounded in, the air around her practically radiating power as her hair whipped about in a phantom wind. She was wearing nothing but her undergarments, her blood stained body a testament to her transformation. Her eyes were the usual glowing crimson, but had adopted serpent-like black slits, like a cold and calculating predator. The horns on her head that had been juvenile in her previous form had now curved upward into two foreboding black spears, sharp and deadly. Her usual small and hidden fangs were now poking ever so slightly from beneath her lips, like two hypodermic needles ready to paralyze any who got too close.

Her mind was muddled, however, and she wasn't aware of herself, her surroundings, or even of what she was doing.

She only understood the will to fight and survive, a primal instinct.

The Zandonian was in front of Meredith in a flash, causing the woman to stumble backwards, her feet kicking dirt into the air as she fell onto her bottom, a look of sheer panic contorting her features. Her heart fluttered rapidly as fear consumed her being.

She shouldn't be afraid, this was Adalina, Second in Command to the most ruthless leader in the known universe, the one responsible for his undeniable change. She was merciful, and kind, all things seen as a weakness.

Until they were gone and replaced with a coldness not even the depths of Hell could warm.

For then, they were wanted, and much preferred.

Adalina grabbed the woman by her silver locks and hoisted her to her trembling feet,

"I-" she began to protest, but was quickly silenced by a lavender fist sending her soaring.

"You think you can just get away with what you did?" Adalina asked calmly, "You'll pay."

Cooler stared on in disbelief as his subordinates trembled at the sight, Zarbon and Baphomet ceasing their battle to watch the one unfolding, neither of them daring to interrupt,

"She's no doubt nearly on par with your brother like this..." Salza commented shakily.

"I have no doubt about that." the Prince replied, nearly breathless as watched the kind woman break and reform into the thing she despised the most. Frieza would no doubt be encouraging this change, but perhaps not, he seemed to like her just the way she was,

"Adalina, snap out of it before you do something you'll regret." Cooler shouted, "This isn't you." while he was quite the ruthless fighter himself, he didn't want the woman to betray herself, for it is the worst feeling anyone can experince, to lose the battle.

Adalina paused, a ball of red ki gathered in her hand, ready to obliterate the terrified woman cowering before her. She looked towards the sound of the voice and a jolt of recogniton cut like a sharp knife through the cluttered mess of her mind.

Cooler.

Frieza's brother.

Frieza, Namek, Lilith, The Dragon Balls.

The torture.

Who was she? What was she doing?

Her mind was firing rapidly, running through every even that had led her to standing above another living being, shaking and terrified of _her._

A memory flashed, her hands around Mayrista's neck, and oh Gods no-

"What have I done?" she whispered to herself, "Leave here, now." she shouted, "Go and tell your master she's outclassed, tell her to stop chasing this foolish dream."

Meredith looked up with wide eyes, but didn't protest as she stood. Baph had just arrived on the premises, late as usual, and wanted nothing to do with the mess at hand. Daemon stepped forward to help his comrade walk,

"We won't forget this." the cloaked man spat, "Watch your backs."

The trio were engulfed in shadows, disappearing without a trace.

Adalina fell to her knees, staring at the blood coating her hands, turning an even darker shade as it mingled with her own. She was a monster, she was exactly like the man she had tried to change for so many years.

No.

No she wasn't, she was a powerful warrior, and that power sometimes got the better of her and clouded her judgement.

Cooler came to stand before her, crouching so that he was level with her,

"Are you going to be alright?" he questioned.

Adalina nodded,

"Yeah, I think most of my injuries were healed when I transformed, I feel fine...physically at least."

The elder Prince wasn't convinced,

"I think a little while in on of the healing tanks wouldn't hurt."

The Zandonian stood, shaking her head,

"I don't have time for that." she turned on her heal and began walking the direction she had come from, a purpose in her step, "I'm going to go find my armor, and then I'm going to go give your brother a piece of my mind." she didn't get far before her transformation began to fade, here energy completely expended.

She swayed on her feet, falling forward, only to be caught by Salza before she could hit the ground. She was out like a light.

"So stubborn." Zarbon sighed, "We have a lot to discuss anyway." he mumbled, Cooler definitely needed to know what was going on on Namek, if he didn't already know.

"That we do, Zarbon." Cooler replied, adressing his former soldier.

* * *

Lilith clenched her fists as her defeated minions stood before her, one of them being her own damn brother, flesh and blood same as hers and he couldn't take down one measely soldier!

"You're a disgrace! Useless, utterly useless." she shouted, causing Meredith to start as she bandaged her wounds. Her master never got angry at them, they had screwed up really bad this time.

"She transformed Lilith!" Daemon retorted, the only one daring enough to refute her.

"You should have been more than capable of handling her!"

"They aren't like the people from our universe, they aren't selfishly driven by sin nor are they dictated by a singular God. They are leagues above the humans we're use to dealing with, even the humans of this world are way stronger than ours! We're out of our element, sister!"

Lilith back-handed him with a loud crack, she would not tolerate insubordination, even from her own family.

"Lucifer kicked us out of Hell, banished us to this realm and we will make do with what we have and then we will conquer our former universe, this one, and beyond, do I make myself clear?" her voice was filled with venom, a tone that allowed no room for a rebuttal of any kind.

Daemon spat a wad of black blood onto the floor,

"Crystal."

* * *

Goku stood at the hatch of his Capsule Corp. spacecraft, sensing the planet in its entirety. Krillin and Gohan were in danger, and by the looks of it, it seemed they had teamed up with Vegeta as well.

"I'm on my way guys." the Saiyan said to no one in particular as he took off, senzu beans in hand.  
The battle had only just begun.

 _ **A/N: Sorry for the short chapter guys, found myself busy again. Just when it seems they can't pile anything else on, that I'm free, graduation festivities start. Bleh, oh well, my last band concert is on the fifth and that's all I'm worried about, so after that I should be completely fine with writing long chapters.**_

 _ **And yes, Adalina's race are based off of my own spin on snakes. I have waited so long to reveal that lol.**_

 _ **I will have a picture of Ada's new transformation up tomorrow, hopefully.**_

 _ **Until then, happy reading.**_


	42. Chapter 38

_38_

 _Chapter Thirty Eight_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

Vegeta was breathing heavily, one of his lungs had certainly been punctured and was no doubt filling with blood. He was injured pretty heavily, and there wasn't a chance in Hell any of them could win, not with both Earthlings incapacitated.

"If only Adalina were here." he mumbled. Yes, he was angry with her, and he was sure she returned the feelings, but at the end of the day she still cared for him, and would gladly beat some sense into the Ginyu force if given the chance.

Jeice had heard her name mumbled and instantly went rigid,

"She's off planet right?" he asked Berter, "We won't have to fight her?"

The blue alien scoffed and looked away,

"I'm sure we could all take her if need be." he crossed his arms defiantly.

Recoome looked towards the two with a look of surprise,

"No we couldn't, she's almost on the level of Lord Frieza and the Captain said we shouldn't get on her bad side." he commented dumbly, "It's not like she's gonna show up anytime soon, she's off planet."

Krillin had heard the exchange in his half-conscious state, surprised by what he was hearing. He knew the woman was strong, but he didn't know she was strong enough to insight fear and caution into a group of such over-powered warriors.

Recoome fired a finishing blast at Vegeta, but the beam was interrupted and redirected right back at him.

"It's about time you showed up, Kakarot." Vegeta growled, having seen the Saiyan moving at high speeds. He was much stronger than he remembered on Earth, no doubt.

Goku stood in the middle of the battle, his brows furrowed at the carnage he was witnessing. His only son lay unmoving with a broken neck, his best friend no better off, and his rival beaten and bloodied, but still clinging on.

"I'm here guys, it's okay." he smiled brightly as he walked to his son and gingerly picked him up, "Gohan, you need to swallow this, ok?"

The halfling was able to eat the Senzu and quickly rejuvenated, shocking those around who knew nothing of what was occurring.

Goku helped his son stand and began casually chatting with him while he also offered a Senzu to Krillin, the monk graciously accepting and standing, healthy and untouched a moment after. It was when it came time to deal with Vegeta that their morals became conflicted.

"It's my last bean." Goku said more to himself than anything, "I guess I want him in top shape for our rematch though." he justified as he tossed the small green oval at his Saiyan rival.

"Goku no! He'll turn on us eventually." Krillin protested.

"I think he's more worried about these guys." Goku said as he pointed to them.

Recoome shouted back to his teammates,

"What's this new guy's power level, I don't want to accidentally kill him."

Berter clicked his scouter and zoned in on the monkey, the numbers stopping at a measely 5000,

"It's only 5000, you might still kill him even if you hold back." he smirked. This was their famed savior? Pathetic, he was the fastest in the universe and there was no way some piece of Saiyan trash was faster or stronger.

Goku didn't say anything as he entered a fighting stance.

Things were about to get very complicated.

* * *

Frieza had taken off the second he had learned the exact location of the few remaining Namekians, not wasting anytime. He had to have their absolute cooperation, and if force was necessary he would be glad to provide. He was in an awful mood and torture was beginning to sound appealing.

Yes, he rather liked the idea of having them grovel at his feet, more than happy to give him what he desired.

Adalina's face flashed in his mind once more, causing him to growl.

"It would seem even when she's not present she still has an effect on me. Damn woman." he spat, pushing his hover chair to go faster.

Why was he feeling guilty? Why was he even _questioning_ his own intentions? Because of her? Had she truly effected him so?

He stopped himself, had he just _acknowledged_ the emotion of guilt? He clenched his fist, his black nails digging ridges into the palms of his hands. Why had she ever come into his life? Why had he allowed her past his walls? She was a weakness, a liability.

He should have killed her when he had the chance, but even as he thought the scenario through once more, he found that it always ended with him lowering his hands, unable to end her. For as much as she infuriated him, she had enthralled him completely.

His scouter began beeping furiously to signal an incoming call. He looked at the name and growled, pressing the button violently, nearly smashing the delicate device,

"What is it now Cooler, can't you see I'm busy?!" he screeched.

The elder brother winced as he leaned away from the comm. systems speakers, simultaneously turning the volume down. His brother was such a child at times, screaming and throwing a temper tantrum over the simplest of things.

"I was calling to inform you about the state of your soldiers, brother." he said solemnly.

Frieza gradually slowed to a stop, his finger still balanced precariously over the scouter, in case he needed to end the call. He lowered his hands, deciding it was something worth listening to, as a cold feeling seeped into his stomach,

"What of them?" he had calmed down, well, most would think that. But inside was a turmoil of emotions, had something happened to her? Something he could have prevented? He hated feeling helpless, because it meant that he had no control of the situation.

"The troops that were stationed on planet fought valiantly, and in the end you didn't lose many at all. Zarbon is a little bruised and has certainly seen better days." he reported, carefully avoiding Adalina's condition, trying to prompt his brother to worry over her. If e didn't say anything, they would be making a trip to Namek to beat some sense into the little brat, but if he did show some form of concern..he supposed he would have no qualms over sending her by herself to deal with him.

"And what of Adalina?" bingo. His voice had a small tinge to it, one that only the girl and his family could distinguish. It was one that signaled he was worried, even if he himself wouldn't admit it, Cooler knew, Frieza still cared for his Second in some twisted way.

"She was tortured, no doubt, and heavily. It was enough to send her into a new transformation, brother. She's in the healing tank right now, but it would seem she's plagued with nightmares, and whether it's your fault or that Demon's is yet to be known."

Frieza clenched his jaw, how dare he insinuate something of the sort? Of course it wasn't his fault, he could only imagine what she had been through with those demons. They seemed like the creative type, but with a healing tank and her expedient regeneration rate she would be just fine...physically at least.

"How strong? Did you see?" he was of course going to be curious of this new form of her.

Cooler smirked, the expression not visible, but very much audible as he replied to his brother,

"Very. She's nearly on level with you, brother, and not happy at all." his voice became serious, "I warned you that this would happen, that you would be the only reason she would wish for your downfall, you're destroying yourself, and you're pushing away the best thing that's happened to you. I'm sure mother wouldn't approve of what you're doing."

Frieza scoffed, not in the mood to hear anything about what his mother would think. She was dead and it was the same weak emotion he saw in Adalina that got her killed, he would not let himself follow the same path,

"I don't care, brother, I'm doing this for the _sake of the universe_." he finished with sarcastic tint to his voice, and a malicious smirk, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have a wish to make." he disconnected the call, speeding onwards once more towards the three Namekians he had detected.

* * *

Adalina held someone in her arms, though she couldn't tell who it was. Her arms were coated in blood, and it surprised her because she realized she had never seen this person so injured. Who was this person? Why was her face wet?

She reached a hand up to her face and pulled it back, her tears had mixed with the blood on her fingertips, turning an interesting shade of pink. She thought the color reminded her of home, of beautiful pink skies and not a care in the world.

Her chest clenched painfully as she cradled the body closer to her face, trying to get a good look at him through the tears. It was him, yes, someone she knew.

Flashes of purple were illuminated as lightening shot across the milky sky.

It was Frieza.

Her love, the one she was trying to save.

To save from the world, and from himself.

She looked towards the sky and caught a glimpse of orange.

Her eyes snapped open and looked blearily through the green tint of the healing pod, out into the infirmary.

"You're awake, that didn't take long."

Salza drained the machine and released the hatch, allowing her out of the chamber. She stepped out on trembling feet, still a bit weary from the dreams she had been having. Almost all of them involved her own death, or Frieza's.

"I heal quickly." was her short response, her voice sounding muddled and distant.

He observed her, she was much more muted than usual, and he supposed one would be if they had just been tortured,

"He was worried about you."

I'm going to go stop him from being his own downfall." she began walking towards where her armor was sitting, they must have found it for her.

Her response was so blunt and to the point, completely swerving around what he had said. She was building up walls, something that wasn't healthy at all. Cooler grabbed her shoulders gently and steered her towards another room off of the medical bay,

"I'm going to let one of these doctor's give you a physical ad psychological examination, and then if everything clears out you can go after him, deal?"

She nodded numbly, figuring it was probably for the best if she gathered her thoughts first. But did she really have the time to waste?

She sighed as a doctor walked in, she supposed she did.

* * *

Goku lay broken, but not defeated as Ginyu hopped away. A battle well fought, but he was no longer in shape to protect anyone from Frieza, should he decide to drop by.

And he had used his last Senzu on Vegeta.

They were in quite the bind if they didn't figure something out.

And fast.

* * *

Frieza stood before Nail, the lone Namekian warrior.

How such scum could even dream of touching him was beyond his realm of thought.

He smirked as the green man took a fighting stance.

Nail was aware that he was going to die, but he needed to buy Dende just a little more time to get the password to the humans, so that the Dragon's wishes may fall upon worthy hands.

Frieza launched himself at the man, holding back. Yes, he wanted to torture the information out of him.

But could he really stomach that after what had happened to his second?

It wasn't like he had been the one to torture her.

But he had certainly done it, only once, when she had tried to escape. He felt something akin to guilt once more as he recollected the memory, but cast it aside as a long green appendage snaked past him in an attempt to catch him off guard.

"Oh no you don't, the fun's only just begun." the tyrant smirked as he grabbed the arm and pulled until he heard an audible 'pop', his face splattered with purple blood in a gruesome display.

He laughed, a maniacal chuckle he had long since forgotten, but had bubbled to the surface once more as the familiar rush of blood-lust heightened his senses.

Oh how he had missed this.

 _ **A/N: I uploaded a picture of Adalina's new transformation kurokagamiimaji on dA.**_  
 _ **Not a lot to say about this one, it was intense to write though, sorry again for it being short, I got busy again and it has been one hell of a week.**_


	43. Chapter 39

_39_

 _Chapter Thirty Nine_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

A cold weight had settled in Krillin's stomach as they milled about Frieza's mother ship.

The Namekians, they had all been killed, save for Nail, Dende, and Elder Guru, but even then he was having a hard time sensing them, the warrior Namek especially. He felt like he was battling with someone, perhaps Frieza himself.

But they had no time to stop and worry about that.

"Put him in here. It's a healing tank, specially designed to speed up the regeneration process. He should be back to normal soon, unfortunately this is an older model so it may take some time." Vegeta explained as he punched some numbers in, Krillin gently setting his friend in the odd contraption.

"What happened to the newer model?" he asked, wondering why they weren't using that one instead.

"We had a disagreement." the Saiyan answered shortly, "Now, let's do something about those silly outfits of yours. We can at least strengthen your first line of defense."

Not that it would matter when he decided to end their useless existence, of course. He would keep them alive long enough to be of use, and then dispose of them. He smirked as his plan fell into place within his mind, of course he left room for error, but in the end, he always came out on top. The Dragon Balls would be his.

A ringing came over the surprisingly still intact comm. system, followed by a robotic voice,

"Incoming call, throne room." it said, "Caller: unknown, Frieza Planet 316."

Vegeta stopped, Gohan and Krillin doing the same as the tin-like voice echoed through the halls. It was something designed to alert Frieza if he left the throne room, or if it sensed that his scouter was destroyed or out of reach. He supposed that all of the above could have applied, but he didn't care what it was at that moment.

He only cared about who it could be.

The Prince changed directions and headed for the throne room, a walk he had made millions of times, and like all those time, it held the same form of anxiety, of the unknown. But through that, he felt warmth, hope, that perhaps Adalina would be there to protect him in years long past, and to aid him in the present. He would be lying if he said he hadn't been worried for her after her large power level had suddenly winked out, the small traces he had been able to feel disappearing. He had tried blaming the distance, but deep down he had known something had happened.

Adalina settled herself in front of the video call center, fidgeting as she attempted to find the words she wanted to say once Frieza answered. She couldn't just flat-out say she was coming for him; maybe she could tell him she was disappointed? Yeah she could tell him she was not proud of his behavior. But then he might think she's scolding him, which she would be, but he hated being treated like a child.

Why did she care? She was _not_ happy with his actions, she was angry with him. She shouldn't be thinking about his feelings, she should be thinking of ways to knock him down a few notches.

But she couldn't delude herself, she cared for him, deeply, and she was only doing this for his own wellbeing. That made sense, she wanted to prevent him from making a mistake he would come to regret because she cared for him.

He might listen to her then.

Vegeta answered the call, curious Earthlings in tow. Gohan stared at the intricate set-up and thoughts of Bulma entered his mind. The blue haired scientist would have a field day if she had access to a ship of such caliber. The technological advancements were far beyond anything Earth had access to.

Adalina's stern face appeared on screen, her brows furrowed as she prepared herself for a verbal sparring match. But that isn't what happened at all. Her face slowly morphed into one of recognition and then of relief as she caught sight of the Earthlings,

"Vegeta! You're ok, and the Earthlings, have you teamed up with them?" she questioned, the worry Frieza had caused her vanishing.

"Yes yes, save all the fanfare for later, why are you calling?" he replied brashly.

Adalina's smile fell as she remembered why she had tried to contact the tyrant,

"I wanted to try getting through to him one last time before I leave here and go to Namek. Some things happened and I may have developed a new transformation, one strong enough to deal with Frieza." she replied solemnly, trying to forget what had happened with Meredith, but it would no doubt haunt her dreams for a while. Phantom pain still wracked her body from time to time, even though she knew she was completely healed, aside from the stubborn brand. She would deal with that later.

Vegeta scoffed at her caring nature, after all he had done she was still trying to talk sense into him,

"He called the Ginyus, they nearly killed us all and he didn't have a care in the world. His true nature is finally being revealed and you're turning a blind eye to it, typical." he crossed his arms and dared her to challenge his statement. She knew he was right.

"I'm trying, and I've been trying all these years, Vegeta. He killed a vast majority of my race, and I haven't forgotten that, but I see a will to change within him, I see a past stained by regret, and I'm not going to let this set him back. He will not get what he wants this time, even if I have to beat some sense into him. I'm not going to let these twenty years go to waste."

Vegeta didn't break his glare, and he couldn't agree with her, not with all Frieza had done to him over the years, but he respected her resolve. He could see some change in the tyrant, and he couldn't deny that she had affected him over the years,

"But you don't know if it'll work this time. He's pretty set on gaining immortality. He's off beating the password out of some poor Namekian at this moment, no doubt. Is that someone truly capable of change? If they revert to old habits so quickly?"

Adalina had no answer for that, and she found herself wondering when Vegeta had grown up enough to string together such a logical statement.

"It's all he's ever known. We fear change, and he is no exception. I just need to show him that it's okay to change for the better." she replied quietly.

Krillin stepped up, a reassuring smile on his face,

"It's not impossible you know, so don't give up on him. He sounds like a pretty bad guy, but you're a really nice woman and I trust your judgment. We used to have a lot of enemies back on Earth, but Goku managed to convert even the most evil, and bring them to our side. It's doable. We'll help in any way we can." the monk gave her a thumbs up.

"Yeah, whatever you need us to do, just say the word!" Gohan agreed.

"Don't let him make any wishes if you can handle it, and try not to provoke him. I can't protect you at the moment, but I'll be there soon. This has all turned into one big mess, but I'll fix it, no matter what."

Vegeta resisted to roll his eyes at the sentimental tone of her voice. He had no clue how she could still keep such a caring and motherly attitude through all the darkness she had experienced. And even now, he could tell that something was haunting her, that whatever had caused her transformation had not been pretty at all.

She tried to break down others' walls, but in the process, she had built some pretty high ones herself.

"A fight is going to break out no matter what, and you know that."

"And I'll be there. Trust me on this. Lilith's cronies dismantled my ship and destroyed all of the ports here, we're trying to put it back together right now." she could have just gotten Cooler to drop her off, but she wanted to be able to escape at a moment's notice, should something happen, "And just how did you manage to defeat the Ginyu force?"

"My dad showed up! He's in bad condition right now, but if Frieza comes back he'll be able to handle him!" Gohan beamed, putting all of his faith in the Saiyan.

Vegeta gave her a look, one that said he wasn't too sure if Goku could handle the tyrant,

"Kakarot may not be strong enough, so don't rely on him. Get here as soon as you can."

Adalina nodded,

"I'll see you soon. Contact me if anything changes." and with that she ended the call.

"Just how strong is this Frieza?" Krillin asked, his tone was completely serious. He needed to know if they stood a chance, even with Goku.

Vegeta started towards the armory once more, beckoning them to follow,

"Adalina has tried to change him for the better, yes, but in doing so and due to some threats that came along, he has been training with her. Her presence has made him stronger, because he had to be to make sure she never got out of his control. Kakarot is strong, yes, and had this been any other circumstance, I'd say he may have had a chance, but, our only hope is Adalina or a Super Saiyan, whichever comes first." and he had hopes that he might be the Super Saiyan to end Frieza's reign, no way could that third class trash gain the legendary form.

And Adalina knew of the humans' presence with him now, no way could he kill them and get away with it. Not unless he was immortal. He smirked once more, but something was stirring inside him, urging him to do 'the right thing' as Adalina would say.

* * *

Bulma sat on a rock with her arms crossed, glaring at nothing in particular. She had been run ragged and they didn't even know it. She had been avoiding that creepy man with horns ever since they had locked eyes. She had a feeling he wasn't going to be returning anytime soon, but she still didn't want to take any risks.

He had given her the creeps, and had sent shivers up her spine. He wasn't a normal person.

"Maybe he was a ghost? As a woman of science I would try and disprove that notion but with the things I've seen, anything is possible." she groaned and dropped her head into her hands, "This whole situation has turned into a disaster."

She just wanted to go home and take a shower, and forget that any of this had ever happened.

"Why is my life so difficult." she had caught sight of a Capsule Corp. space craft break through the atmosphere not long ago though, "Get us out of here, Goku."

* * *

"How's it coming along?" Adalina asked as she walked to Cooler's subordinates, who were kindly putting her ship back together.

"It should be ready soon." Doore replied in his low voice as he slid out from under the ship to grab a wrench of some sort.

"Adalina, are you sure you should go? Are you sure you're feeling well enough?" Salza asked carefully, almost as if walking on glass.

Adalina smiled at the handsome brench, he had once told her he had a fancy for her, but that it was nothing more than that. Sometimes she still thought he had never let it go,

"I'll be alright. My mind is readily occupied, and that's all we really have to worry about right now, but thank you for worrying, not a lot do."

Salza wiped a hand across his cheek to disperse a small bug, and in doing so smeared oil over is ice-blue skin. Adalina chuckled at him and grabbed a cloth, walking over to him and cleaning the ugly mark away. His cheeks turned red at her actions, he knew she had a habit of being a mother hen, but..

"Ah, yes you're welcome, just try not to strain yourself." he quickly ducked back into the ship to continue wiring the motherboard.

Cooler had noticed the exchange, a small smirk on his face. If only Adalina had fallen for his respectable second and not his idiotic brother. He supposed he couldn't control certain things, and besides, his mother had fallen for their father.

He was beginning to see a trend.

What kind of woman would he end up with then?

Thoughts of a female version of his brother's personality began swirling in his head and he made a sour face. No way would he let that happen.

"Day dreaming?" the Zandonian asked as she approached, still piddling to waste time.

"You could say that. How are you feeling?" his stoic mask of indifference slid back into place on instinct.

"Just fine." she smiled, "Preparing myself for whatever battle is going to ensue on that damned planet." she looked off into the sunset, "That man, I swear, he's going to be the death of me."

"Watch what you say because you might be correct. He's reckless and has a lot of enemies, and honestly, he's doesn't think of others before himself." he would never understand their relationship, nor how it stayed balanced on such a thin line.

"I know that, which is why I try and look out for the both of us, even if he doesn't like it." she sighed, "It does get hard sometimes, and I feel like giving up a lot, but I _know_ I can get through to him. And if there comes a day where I think all my trying has been for naught, then I'll take care of him, one way or another."

"You'd be willing to kill him?" he asked, tilting his head.

"If it was for the best, yes." though the words left her lips, they didn't hold any meaning. She could never raise a hand against him in that manner, and she knew it.

And that terrified her.

Because it was a constant battle to keep him from going back to his old ways.

And to keep her head on straight enough to avoid becoming like him.

"I'm not sure if I'm convinced. But I don't think it will come to that. He's infatuated with you, and he'll do anything to keep you, which means he won't do anything to insight your wrath to such an extent. This whole experience with Namek has shown me that. He lied to you, but in a civil manner. He lied to you because he wants to keep you happy, and I haven't seen that from my brother in many many years. You're good for him, even if he may not be good for you." he gave her a small genuine smile.

"Thanks Cooler. How on Earth did you turn out to be such a gentleman?" she questioned, genuinely curious. He was so much calmer than his younger sibling.

"I was around my mother longer than Frieza, and by the time our father started instilling his commandments, I was old enough to avoid being indoctrinated." he answered simply, "That, and Frieza's always been a little more hot-headed than I."

"I can definitely tell." she laughed, letting the small amount of peace she had found engulf her for a few moments, for all Hell was about to break loose.

* * *

"Rise, Porunga!" Dende called out.

A blackness filled the usually bright sky, one that was uncommon due to the planet's constant day-time state. The spheres that had been gathered glowed and undulated, a large beam of iridescent light shooting towards the sky.

A large, muscular dragon appeared from the smoke and light show, its red eyes glowing hypnotically,

"Speak your wish." its deep voice boomed.

Krillin and Gohan looked on in amazement, relief filling the air. They would get their friends back, and neither Vegeta or Frieza would get their wish. Adalina would be there shortly, and Goku would be awake soon as well.

There was a chance to fix this mess.

There was still hope.

 _ **A/N: Hello my lovely readers! Sorry this update is so late today, I had a lot of stuff going on. Prom was this past Saturday, and then today there was a bomb threat at our school. I wasn't able to get into the school to get my car keys or anything, but thank goodness I thought to grab my laptop when we were evacuated, else you guys wouldn't be getting a chapter!**_

 _ **Our great battle will commence either at the end of next chapter, or the beginning of the chapter after that.**_

 _ **Anyway, I've decided I like Q/As, so if you have any questions at all, go ahead and ask.**_

 _ **Also, that PV I was talking about is under works and should be done this summer, maybe.**_

 _ **This story is becoming much bigger than I ever imagined, and I'm sure I'll be writing well into my freshman year of college, so when that time comes, and if I get too busy to stay on schedule, I hope you all understand. But that won't be for a good while, so don't fret!**_

 _ **Until next time!**_


	44. Chapter 40

_40_

 _Chapter Forty_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

Piccolo listened to their inane banter, a growl building up in his throat as he prepared to intervene. Why were they even bothering to fight about who got to go back, wasn't it obvious?

"Would you idiots stop arguing?" he spat, "Send me back and the Dragon Balls on Earth will be restored, then we can wish you all back." of course, Chiaotzu would have to be revived by other means, but that wasn't the problem at hand. Gohan was in trouble, and he needed help, and the Namekian was more than willing to make sure he received it.

"What? No way-" Yamcha began.

"It make sense, send him back and we'll sort the rest of us out at a later date. I hate to admit it, but he's more capable than us in a fight of this caliber." Tenshinhan's stoic voice broke through.

The Z-fighters all sobered at that thought. He was absolutely right, none of them were strong enough to handle Frieza, they would only be in the way. But there was no way it would stay like that forever, they would find a way to surpass their previous limitations and keep up as best they could.

Ten was more than capable of growing stronger, and with his particular set of skills, even if he wasn't as strong as his opponent, he could find an efficient way to take them down. He was positive that his fellow comrades could improve themselves immensely as well. They could all grow stronger together.

"Bring Mr. Piccolo back to life!" Gohan shouted to Dende at Krillin's behest.

The Namekian child said something in a foreign language, once again leaving the humans oblivious. He could be wishing for world domination and they wouldn't know it, though hopefully the child would abstane from that.

"It is done." he said in a language they understood, "What is your next wish?"

"Bring Piccolo to planet Namek." Krillin replied, a serious look on his face, "We need all the help we can get if this goes south."

The wish was made, but the green man was no where to be seen, maybe they were suppose to be specific.

Vegeta awoke slowly, his mind groggy as his eyes drifted towards the window beside him,

"Just how long did I sleep? It's already night." he commented, not realizing the implications of his words until after he said them. Night? That's impossible, it can't be night on a planet with three suns, a planet he had not seen go dark yet.

 _"There's no way he could have used the Dragon Balls already, trust me, you would know. They sky goes completely dark, and out from the spheres rises a great Dragon, it's hard to miss."_ Krillin had explained smartly at the Saiyan's paranoia, he had been worried Frieza had already gotten his wish already.

He had been sufficiently pacified then, but now that information was serving to infuriate him as his eyes drifted to a great, green, _Dragon._

"Those insufferable humans! I'll kill everyone of them!" he shouted, enraged as he flew from the space ship and directly towards the island they had tried to hide on. Insolent brats, did they think putting distance between them would postpone their imminent demise?

"Hurry! Vegeta's awake and he doesn't seem too happy." Krillin urged, but it was too late.

The Saiyan Prince had made it to their secluded little island in record time, grabbing Dende by the collar of his garb and hoisting him above his head. A sudden power level made him more urgent as he demanded,

"Make me immortal right now or we're all going to die!"

"No way! Wh-" Krillin was cut short as he too felt the power level he hadn't noticed over Vegeta's temper. It was Frieza, no doubt.

"That's- there's no way someone could be that strong..." Gohan trailed off, terror evident in his trembling words. His dad wouldn't be awake in time, and they weren't sure if Adalina's ship had been repared, "I'm going to the ship to alert Adalina." he stilled himself, determined to make it through this alive, and with the planet intact.

"Oh no you don't!" Vegeta fired a small ki blast at the boy to hault him, "No way are you going anywhere, not until I'm immortal."

"This is bigger than you, and all of us Vegeta!" Krillin reasoned, "I just can't let you go through with this and still have a clear conscious." his fists were trembling with the weight of such a decision, let Vegeta become immortal so that they didn't die by Frieza's hand, and instead his at a later date, or don't, and be decimated instantly.

Neither were appealing.

Gohan had managed to sneak away and get to the ship, heading through the hole in the throne room's port. He wasn't sure if he remembered how anything worked, but he was desperate, he _needed_ it to work.

He clicked something that looked like a call button, and fortunately, it brought up a list of past conversations. He navigated the confusing alien technology and clicked on the most recent one.

"Commander Adalina, sir! There's an incoming call from his sire's mothership!" a soldier reported respectfully but urgently.

Her brows furrowed as she thanked him, then took off in a run. Something was wrong, she could feel it.

When she reached the comm. room, the video call was nearly on its last ring. She hastily answered it,

"Hello? Gohan? What's wrong?" she asked franticly as his petrified face appeared on screen.

"It's Frieza, he's-" he froze, feeling the power on top of him, Vegeta and Krillin's auras both becoming mildly frantic, "Oh no he's here." he whispered.

A cold weight settled in her stomach. No, no no no. This wasn't happening,

"Salza, this is a direct order from me, fix that ship immediately!" she commanded over her new scouter, one of Cooler's models.

"We're almost finished!" he replied, "Just a little more time."

"I don't have time!"

"Be patient." Cooler cut in as he stepped into the room, looking at the obviously Saiyan child, or perhaps he was half? Ah yes, the halfling Adalina had mentioned, "They cannot go any faster whilst keeping your safety and the integrity of the ship in mind."

Gohan's face went rigid as he caught sight of the other Arcosian,

"Wh-who are you?" he asked timidly.

"I'm Frieza's older brother, and I apologize for his behavior, but no one will be able to assist you right now, you'll have to hold him off on your own." his words were stiff, his face stoic, but Adalina knew he was giving him the best advice he could offer, "My brother is rash, and doesn't fight well when he's angered. Insult his intelligence, that's a sure way to make his moves sloppy." he smirked.

"Ah, but try not to provoke him too much. I'll be there as soon as I can, please, just try and stay alive. I don't think I could ever forgive him, or myself for that matter if anything happened." she pleaded.

"I've gotta' go help them." he commented as he felt an aura flare to life, an angry one, "Please hurry, my dad won't be up in time."

The call was ended abruptly, leaving Adalina in the dark, worried for everyone's' safety.

Her fists were trembling as she clenched them with enough force to pierce the palms of her hands, magenta blood spilling from the crescent moons. It was time, it was time to make her own place in the world, to take her own stance. No more pussy-footing around, no more being _pushed_ around. She cared for him, but she didn't care for his abrasive, pompous attitude towards things. He couldn't just crush those who were weaker and gain what he wanted, not on her watch. She was done playing nice.

She was strong enough to make him listen now.

He was changing, and she had a feeling that this fight was about to be a turning point, whether for the good or for the worst was entirely up to him.

"Oh Vegeta, you seem to have forgotten how vastly terrifying I can be." Frieza chuckled, his aura undulating in angry spasms around him.

Gohan arrived to the scene,

"She said she'll try and get here as soon as possible." he whispered in hopes the super power in front of them wouldn't hear, and ignore that he had ever been gone in the first place.

Frieza had heard though, as he stared his former subordinate down,

"She? Just who have you contacted?!" he demanded. He knew deep down who they were talking about, but he didn't want to think about it. If she found out what he was doing, she would never forgive him.

Perhaps he should drop the situation? The Dragon had died, there was no way he could get his wish.

And they would pay.

He didn't care what she thought, or if she was coming to fend him off for the sake of the humans. He would knock her down a few notches as well.

He should have never brought her.

He should have never even taken her off planet Zandonia.

Frieza was so desperately confused, he didn't know what he wanted to do. But he did know one thing, he was livid. He was furious at the entire situation, there was absolutely nothing that had turned out in his favor. Perhaps this trip was doomed to fail at the start?

He should have lis-

No. He was going to do what he pleased and no one with their damn morals and peachy attitude was going to stop him. Even if he did care for her. She was a nuisance, ever present in his mind, affecting his decisions.

"You truly think that she's strong enough to defeat me?" though she had just gained a new transformation, she had never seen his true power, had never experienced his true wrath.

"I think she can talk some sense into you." Vegeta spat, "As much as I despise you, and your relationship with her, I know you care for her. You listen to her."

"My days of listening to her inane prattle are over, look where it's gotten me." he growled.

"You don't mean that." he retorted.

Frieza released a yell as he conjured up enough psychic energy to raise a large plateau from the ground, a distraction. The rock split in half and he fired a beam through the crack. Vegeta dodged but was caught in another volley of blasts as he fell into the tyrant's trap.

"Never again will I let someone dictate my actions. I will take what I please without any remorse. I will not submit to such weak morals." he spat.

Piccolo had sensed the marginal increase in power and was speeding towards them, desperate to get there before anything happened to his ward. He wasn't sure what he could offer, but he'd be damned if he didn't try.

He felt a faint power level as he soared by and nearly thought it was Gohan, before he looked down. There, laying in a puddle of his own blood was a fellow Namekian, his body broken, but his will strong.

Piccolo couldn't even begin to imagine what had happened the warrior, but from the looks of it, he had fought well.

Not well enough, he supposed.

The Namek quietly descended, his feet lightly touching the ground as he came to a stop. Something in his gut had urged him to investigate, and he had learned to listen to his odd feelings over the years.

 _'Be safe, Gohan.'_

* * *

Adalina was tapping her fingers on the console in front of her, incessantly drumming a beat as she glared at the screen before her. She knew there had to be a way to watch what was going on. In fact, if she could access the spy drone on the mothership, she would have no trouble viewing the action in 'stunning quality'. She rolled her eyes as she recalled the man who had convinced her to buy them, and had then gotten her chewed out for purchasing something 'useless'.

They were definitely useless at that moment.

"There's got to be a way to access the control panel on his ship from here. If I had my scouter I could-" she stopped and hastily pulled the one off her face that Cooler had given her. Of course, why hadn't she thought of that before? She could just enter her own information and make the scouter completely hers, able to access Frieza's mothership, and all its toys.

Adalina quickly punched in her security code, bringing the device under her complete control. She had nearly the same access to everything as Frieza, and that meant she could override the mothersip's console from afar.

She smirked at her infallible plan, glad that she had been able to use her intelligence for once.

"Computer, authorize drone use." she called over the scouter.

"Command recognized as valid, initiating drone start-up." a metallic voice intoned.

She quickly brought up the broadcasting pin for Cooler's HUD and awaited further notice,

"Drones are ready for your co ordinance." the tin-like voice said.

Adalina went to work then,

"Broadcast video feed to Lord Cooler's HUD, Code: 45ghus8890." she commanded, waiting on baited breath as she opened the HUD to outside signals.

A small circle appeared on the screen as it loaded and she found herself becoming quite anxious, and nervous. What if she didn't like what she saw? What if Frieza had already killed everyone and gotten his wish?

What if he was coming for her next?

She shook her head to clear it of such stupid thoughts. There was no way he could kill her, not after everything they had been through. He was still brash and arrogant, but he _had_ changed. He hadn't killed the Namekians in order to collect the Dragon Balls, no, he had allowed her to peacefully gather them. Years ago he would have tossed her to the side and ignored her, but that wasn't the case anymore.

But she had to remind herself that he still had a temper, a very fragile one at that. If something had happened, say, the humans had used all three wishes, then he would be furious and ready to kill. She had to prevent that from happening, and make him see that his anger was pointless, because his wish was stupid to begin with.

Immortality, pah, who would wish for such an outrageous thing?

But she knew why; he didn't want to die, he feared the unknown and those who were stronger than him. With allies he wouldn't need to be afraid anymore...if only he could see that.

But truly, she was afraid that he would leave her, would have no use for her any longer, just as Meredith had said when Adalina had been caught in the grips of the demon's illusion. If he was immortal, the fear that drove him to keep her around, would dissipate, and with it, her purpose.

The screen flickered to life, showing the inside port where the drones were kept and she released a sigh of relief.

"Drones online."

"Thank you computer."

Adalina tested the controls in front of her, hoping they would auto-link with the HUD. She really didn't want to go through that little process again. The drone moved slightly when she pulled on the control stick in front of her, once again giving her a feeling of accomplishment.

Frieza and Vegeta clashed, their power seemingly at equal standing. They grasped each other's arms, pushing against each other in a stalemate. Frieza couldn't comprehend how the Saiyan had gotten so strong, but then he realized that Adalina had given him quite the thrashing.

He growled, maybe she had done it purposefully?

Not that it mattered, truly. He hadn't wanted to transform to deal with such pests..but it was beginning to look like he might need to.

The two super powers broke apart in a large explosion as their auras battled with each other, landing across from each other.

"Go ahead Frieza, show us your little trick."

Ah, so the monkey _had_ found out his secret, and after all he had done to keep it unknown. Even when he had been forced into a transformation during his fight with Lilith, he made sure that no one had been privy to it, which wasn't hard because they were all involved in their own battles.

"So you _do_ know?"

"Of course I do, because even after Adalina had surpassed you in this form, you never once lost control of her. You had to have a way of keeping up, besides, Zarbon let one or two things slip." he replied, a smirk gracing his features. He wanted to beat the tyrant while he was at his best.

"Oh Vegeta, what makes you think you'll stand a chance against me if I transform?" after all, he would only need to go into his second form to deal with the pest.

"Because I'm becoming a legend." his smirk grew.

Frieza's breath caught in his throat...surely?

No, there was no way, he was barely on par with him, and he was still in his base form. There was always a chance he was hiding his power, but how much of it?

"Ha, we'll see how well your silly legend holds up in the face of true power my boy." the tyrant held a hand to his mouth in a posh manner as he cackled, "Only naive children grasp at such magnificent straws."

He stepped back and gave a yell as he began powering up.

Adalina finally managed to navigate the drone to the open hatch, nearly tearing up at the carnage she had passed by. She had a feeling Vegeta was to blame for the death of her soldiers, but she couldn't be entirely upset, after all, it was either they went after him and got killed, or went against Frieza and ended up the same way.

She sighed as she flew the small air-craft out of the ship, bumping the edge of the door on the way out and making the camera teeter.

She was concerned when the turbulence didn't stop.

The drone was shaking with a deep rumble, and a bright, spiraling red aura was the cause of it. She didn't even need to risk breaking the built in power scanner to know that it was Frieza, and was he transforming?

"No, there's no need, that's over-kill." she murmured, something was wrong.

Adalina threw the small craft into high gear, speeding towards the island where the fighters had gathered, her mind racing with thoughts of death and destruction as she jumped to the worst conclusions. He had killed them, or was planning to. They were all fighting, and her heart was telling her she needed to stand by his side no matter what, it was just as she had said, she would stand by him even if the whole world turned against him.

But her mind, her mind was telling her to do the 'right' thing, to aid the humans, to get them home safely, to not allow Frieza to live like he was any longer.

"Damn it I'm trying." she mumbled under her breath, it was something she had been saying quite a lot, but it was the truth. She was trying so hard to stay neutral, to save everyone.

And to show Frieza the folly of his ways.

But truly, who was she to be his moral compass? Who was she to decide right from wrong? Perhaps he thought he was doing the right thing in his mind, and she was the bad guy trying to corrupt his way of thinking?

The woman shook her head. She was thinking way too much into things. He was going to become immortal and rule the universe with an iron fist, striking fear into the hearts of those weaker than him. It wasn't right, and it certainly wasn't the ending she wished for their story. He was changing, he only needed a little push to fall completely onto her side.

And maybe beating some sense into him would be that push.

As the drone closed in on the island, the dust cloud that had been swirling about had dissipated, and what was left standing there was not the Frieza she knew.

He looked just like his father, in more ways than one.

She knew he had other forms, but she had never seen them. From her knowledge they served as a buffer between his base and transformed states, because going straight into his 'final' form was quite the strain on his body.

He knew the form couldn't be that much stronger than her own '1st' transformation, her intermediate state, and if that was the case, they didn't stand a chance. She had mopped the floor with Vegeta in one punch, without even straining herself.

He had gone through Zenkai, yes, but if Frieza saw it fit, he could transform completely, and end them all.

He was either toying with them, or _not_ trying to kill them.

Something told her it was the former.

"What? Not what you were expecting? Last time I measured this form, I had a power level of one million, of course, I've probably improved a bit since then."

Adalina's eyes widened, but she felt a little relieved, because she was still stronger than that in her intermediate form, at max. Maybe they could hold out a little while longer.

"Adalina, your ship should be ready to fly in about fifteen minutes." Salza called from the door way, taking her eyes off of the screen. He was covered in oil and grime.

"Thank you so much for this. I've got to get out there before he throws all of his progress down the drain."

"I've never seen any of his other forms. He almost looks like King Kold." the Brench commented, "It's uncanny."

Cooler had also joined them, a look of disappointment on his face, not over his brother's actions, but over Adalina's look of hopelessness,

"You can't give up on him yet. You've done wonders for him, trust me, and with a little more time, I'm sure he'll see the arrogance of his ways."

But no sooner had he said that, had Adalina heard and ear-piercing scream shoot through the monitor.

She looked to the HUD and was horrified at what she saw.

Krillin lay impaled on one of Frieza's enlarged horns as the tyrant chuckled and lapped up the trickles of blood that had run down his face.

Her face went dark as she finally made her decision.

No more.

She would take no more.

And she wouldn't let him fall any further.

"Alert me as soon as my ship is fixed." she sternly commanded, her voice cold.

She hid her face as a single tear dropped from her green eyes and pooled on her chin.

They had come so far, and yet something so small and insignificant was enough to send his temper flaring, and obliterate their process.

"You'll see the error of your ways when you get a taste of your own medicine, you arrogant fool." she mumbled under her breath as she watched him buck Krillin into the water, never to surface again.

Oh yes, he would know her true wrath.

Adalina was done quietly sitting on the sidelines, done watching her words for fear of angering him.

Sometimes the best way to get through to people was through violence.

If a fight is what he wanted, then so be it.

 _ **A/N: Guys, I'm sorry, but I've got to make something clear. Yes, I am basically regurgitating Kai episodes, and I have been for a great majority of the Namek saga. It's boring, it's redundant, but it's a necessary evil. I need you guys to understand how complex the world of canon DBZ is, even if it may not seem like it. I could have changed something as simple as not having Krillin impaled and it would have literally thrown the whole balance out of wack and made it difficult for me to bring Adalina into the story the way I want her. Some things are meant to be canon, that's just how it is, because the Cell saga and beyond are going to be royally fucked up and twisted into my own little story, but for now, please be patient.  
And yes, lord have mercy, the romance is coming. It's Dragon Ball Z, they fight, it is a pivotal puzzle piece. I mean, guys, I have a smut scene planned, if you so want it. It will be filled with romance ok. I have taken my sweet time with them because it's FRIEZA. Do you know how hard it would be to get a person like that to fall in love? I've read stories where's it's like, instant, and I wanted to be far from that. Yes, I might be taking a bit long, but I promise, give me four more chapters and we'll be there, and then after that we'll dive right back into Arcos, and Lilith's great plan and all that.  
I'm stressed out, guys, sorry.**_

 _ **HOLY SMOLY WE'RE AT FORTY CHAPTERS GUYS. I am absolutely amazed I've managed to stick with this for so long, but damn it, it just holds my interest. And of course, I have to thank you guys, because without readers, I wouldn't even bother. 3 I might draw something special to mark this special occasion.**_

 _ **Shoo, that was a hard chapter to write. Anyway, it's the end of the year and I've got senior this senior that, class night, graduation blah blah, so I might be busy, too busy to write a long chapter, but we'll see, cause I was kind of busy this week and I still managed to get a longer chapter out. But for sure, after the 29th, I'll be free to write all the fanfiction I want, and we're starting to get into the meat of things. Adalina feels betrayed, but she's not all that surprised because she's been a bit lenient on Frieza's...'behavior' up until now, because she's never really been strong enough to thoroughly discipline him or whatever you want to call it. Frieza is about to feel betrayed, but don't worry, all will end well, with them as a couple, and then we'll move onto the Cell saga...fun stuff. And, no, there will be no teaming up in this, you'll see what I'm doing soon enough ;)**_

 _ **Until then guys.**_


	45. Chapter 41

_41_

 _Chapter Forty One_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

 _ **(Quick lil' note. It would seem fanfiction has fixed the review problem, so I can see all your reviews again, but it's a little delayed. I'm sure everything will be fixed soon and I hope this doesn't discourage you from reviewing! And let me be clear, it's not that you guys are't reviewing, I got like 11 for the last chapter alone, it's fanfictions problem, not you lol.)**_

"Train with me. There's no way I can control this new form well enough to defeat him if I don't train." Adalina stood before Cooler, her eyes brimming with determination. He wasn't as strong as her, nor Frieza, but he was a much better tactician. He was her best option if she wanted to gain the upper hand on the tyrant. And besides, there was no guarantee she would have any sentient control over her new transformation. She needed to test it with someone who could take a beating.

"Don't you want to keep an eye on him?" the elder Prince questioned as he caught sight of his brother chasing the small bald human who had miraculously survived. Good thing for healers, he guessed.

"They've got Dende, and they seem to be taking good care of themselves, plus, the scouter registered a high power level going towards them, they can hold off until I get there." she _needed_ to make sure she was ready, and if that meant abandoning the video feed, then so be it, "I could always assign someone to watch over it for me. Abedin, could you do that for me?" she questioned the small cat-like alien stationed at the door.

"Yes ma'am!" she answered sweetly, "I'll tell you of anything pivotal, you just focus on yourself sweety."

Adalina smiled at the feline woman,

"You're the best, we'll be in training room A."

Cooler smirked at her as she came to stand beside him,

"What have I told you about ordering around my subordinates?" he mimicked his younger brother.

"I do what I want." she sniffed indignantly, before breaking out into laughter. "Hopefully things can go back to normal, well, as normal as our lives are."

"I'm not going to lie to you, and tell you that everything will work out, because there's a good chance it won't. I need you to tell me that you are prepared to handle either out-come." he gave her a stern look.

Adalina stilled herself, a mask of determination sliding into place,

"I'll try my best to not let this situation go any further south, but if it does, I'll be ready." she reassured, "I'll save him, even if my definition of saving him isn't ideal."

"I'm trusting your judgement, because suffice to say, I don't know my brother anymore."

"Do any of us really?"

* * *

Arctica paced back and forth, her long gown dancing along the red carpet in watery contrast. Her dark lips were tucked neatly between her teeth, her arms crossed and guarded. She was worried.

Cooler had informed her of what had happened with Adalina, and had also told her she was fine, which had eased her mind a bit.

But.

She was concerned because of her nephew's reckless behavior. He had been doing so well, and was shaping up to be a man her sister would have been proud of, but then he had one little scare and cowered behind some stupid dream.

Namek. Dragon Balls.

She was almost certain that the words held more familiarity with her than just the rumors she had heard, but she couldn't put her finger on it, and that worried her even more.

"Where have I heard that before?" she questioned out loud, to no one in particular.

The Arcosian queen took a seat on her throne to quiet her fidgeting, holding her hands still in her lap as her mind raced. It was beginning to truly eat at her, because she felt as if remembering the information was pivotal.

Images of her sister, broken and defeated flashed in her mind, a woman standing above her in malicious fashion. Something clicked.

"That woman, that damn woman! She got her immortality from Namek, and nearly wiped out their race." she wasn't sure why the information seemed important to her, but she was beginning to think that they had problems much bigger than themselves.

No. Kold had sealed her in the core of a planet, and no one who was powerful enough to free her had a want to. She was trapped, never to surface again, magma eating at her constantly so that she may never have the power to escape herself.

Even though she had convinced herself otherwise, the entire situation was enough to plant a seed of distress within her. If Frieza was searching for immortality, would the same fate await him? Was he becoming the person he truly hated the most? The person who killed his mother?

"Why are you too stubborn to realize she's trying to help you?" she whispered to herself.

Pattering feet drew her attention to the door way, where Polarra had stopped her running to glance in and give her mother a concerned look,

"Mama?" she questioned sweetly, her little girl who would remain untainted by corrupt values, "Are you alright?"

"Yes my sweet, I'm alright, just thinking." she held her arms out, beckoning the child to come take a seat in her lap. The little girl took the invitation happily and clambered into the tall chair, curling up in her mother's embrace.

"Are you thinking about Frieza and Ada?" she had heard hadn't she?

"You were listening to my conversation with your cousin Cooler, weren't you?" she lightly chastised.

Polarra wasn't phased in the least,

"Is..Frieza a bad man?" she questioned smartly, her eyes almost looking older than her years. She was extremely intelligent, and her intelligence stemmed from being tutored by the very man she had just mentioned.

Arctica wasn't entirely sure how to respond to the young girl, it wasn't like she could give her some generic, 'oh no honey, he's just confused', because she was too mature for that, too smart to take such and answer,

"He's not really a bad man, but he isn't a saint either. Adalina is trying very hard to get through to him, and so are we, and it's working. He's just afraid right now, afraid of dying or losing to Lilith. He wants security, but he doesn't realize it's right in front of him, you understand?" she explained slowly, in as uncomplicated a manner as possible.

"So it's like that time I found a Shekjin in the attic? I was so afraid of it doing something to me, that I chose to lock the attic instead of telling someone who could have helped get rid of it." she smiled, remembering the memory of Cooler prying off fifteen pad-locks from the attic door, only to find that the Shekjin inside wasn't nearly as big a problem as they thought.

Arctica chuckled,

"Yes sweet heart, sorta like that." she conceded, if that's how the young girl chose to view the situation, she wouldn't stop her. It was sort of accurate she supposed.

"So all he has to do is accept help, right?"

"Easier said than done for someone as stubborn as him, thank the stars that Adalina's hard-deaded as well."

They both shared a laugh at that, remembering the countless comical conflicts that had arisen from their shared condition. They were like two unmovable mountains, but if you have one mountain pushing against another, with the help of the wind, it might just buckle.

* * *

"You're mind isn't in the right place, Adalina." Cooler shouted and ducked beneath another punch, "You should be able to hit me, you're faster than I am. Your thoughts are clouded. Don't think about what's going on out there, only this room exists right now."

They had been training for a good while, and she just _knew_ that those fifteen minutes were about to be up, and her mind was racing. What was she going to do when she saw him? How was she going to approach the situation?

Would she really be able to fight him at her full potential? Kill him even?

A ki blast grazed passed her shoulder as she jumped backwards to put distance between herself and the elder prince. She needed to focus so that she was fully prepared to deal with Frieza, learn a few new tricks if she could.

It didn't help that her new form was hard to control, and drained her energy. She was beginning to build up a resistance, but she needed much more time than she had.

And that worried her.

If she couldn't get Frieza down in the allotted time before her body started crashing, she'd lose, and there was no telling what would happen after that.

Cooler threw a punch at her once more, but this time she was ready. She caught the offending fist and pulled his arm towards her, planting a knee in his abdomen.

He coughed a bit and she released him, watching with concern as he doubled over, she had't hit him that hard, had she?

"Good thing you don't know your own strength right now, so you can't pull your punches." he wheezed out. He managed to compose himself and stand straight once more, clearing his throat, "I fear he won't hesitate to fight you, so you cannot either."

Adalina nodded, understanding flashing across her face. If she didn't fight, he would, and he'd probably put her down. Something told her that he would't be able to kill her though, and that brought her some comfort.

"Commander, come quick! You'll want to see this!" Abedin was in the door-way, her breathing a little rapid from the full on sprint she had broken into across the ship.

The Zandonian nodded and broke into a run of her own, powering down, headed for the HUD. Cooler stayed behind with his feline assistant,

"What's going on?"

"He had the little one pinned and I almost ran then, but a Namekian showed up, and was doing well...but I think Frieza is transforming again." she explained solemnly.

Cooler was quite surprised, to think that the Earth warriors would have given him enough trouble to force him into a form he despised. It was monstrous compared to all of the others, but no less powerful.

He only hoped she could get there before he went into his fully unreleased form, because there were only three people that could handle him; their father, a Super Saiyan, and her.

Only one of those was plausible, and existed for that matter.

Adalina stood before the HUD, staring at a monster that somehow resembled the man she had grown to love. This wasn't suppose to be happening, none of it was the story that she wanted.

She had to stop him, had to save him from his own selfish desires, and save those around him.

"Adalina, your ship is ready to fly." Salza called over the comm.

She left instantly, a new found determination brewing in her green eyes.

She would fight him with everything she had, for the sake of them all.

 _ **A/N: Short chapter is short on purpose.  
Annnnd our big fight will take place next chapter so get pumped, I'll try and make it a long chapter because by next Monday I'll be freeeee. My last day is Wednesday, and I graduate on Sunday, so that means longer chapters for you guys and maybe even more frequent updates, who knows?**_

 _ **And I should have a picture of Abedin up soon, because she's going to become a constant :3**_

 _ **Until next time guys!**_


	46. Chapter 42

_42_

 _Chapter Forty Two_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

Her heart was racing loudly in her ears, every beat echoing her speeding thoughts as she zoomed through space. An ever present feeling of uncertainty radiated through her body, feeling as if it stemmed from the cold knife twisting in her stomach. Her future, and the fate of the universe were beginning to intertwine, becoming one thin line that she had to walk precariously, careful not to upset the balance because of her own personal feelings.

"I've got to stop him, no matter what." she told herself, "I only hope I can get through to him."

Stars flew by the view-port in front of her like twinkling dancers on a dark stage, awaiting their final performance, the end of the show. She felt like one of those dancing stars, the end of her show approaching rapidly.

She had spent twenty years of her life living among the same soldiers that had killed so many of her people, falling in love with the man who had orchestrated it. What scared her most, was that it was quite possible she had fallen in love with his true self, and not the him she had tried to construct.

Adalina shook her head, emotions threatening to build up. He wasn't inherently evil, no, he had been raised to hold the universe with contempt and paranoia, to never trust anyone. She only needed to uncover the person he was before, the person he was truly destined to be.

She was his moral compass, it was her job, and she wasn't one to fail.

* * *

Cooler had watched her ship take off, something churning in his chest, a feeling he had long disposed of. He had never been fond of anxiety, and had long since done away with it, but now it was nearly impossible to ignore. He couldn't help but worry over the outcome of the fight. He still cared for his brother to some extent, for his mother's sake, and wanted him to become an individual worthy of power, but if all went wrong, he could lose so much more. The universe and the integrity of his family were truly at stake.

Adalina had such high potential to bring his brother back from the brink, but if everything fell apart, it was quite likely she would perish. No matter how much she trusted Frieza, there was always a chance of his explosive temper getting out of hand.

He was unpredictable and erratic.

She was trying to sooth those traits, but one can only do so much.

He only hoped that she could get through to him before it all fell apart.

* * *

Frieza had easily gained the upper hand on Piccolo, and was now beating him with absolutely no mercy, firing rapid blasts to stun and incapacitate the warrior. Gohan stared in disbelief as his mentor, who had been winning earlier, was now being pushed back with little effort.

The young Saiyan's mind went into overdrive as a deep primal urge built up within him, enticing him to battle, to save the life of his friend. It was like a dam breaking within him, filling him with power he had not yet experienced.

He took off, but not without the protest of Krillin.

"No, Gohan!" he shouted as he reached for the child of his best friend.

Vegeta grabbed his shoulder and wrenched him back, not allowing such an opportunity to fall from his grasp,

"No, you idiot, stay here. I have a plan." he explained, "It's the only hope we have right now." he had noticed the small automated drone earlier, and had reasoned Adalina was the pilot..and if it was still running, she was still controlling it and not even close to coming to their aid. Typical; absent when most needed.

Krillin calmed down and turned to listen to the Prince, willing to hear out any viable idea at that time, as he was lost on what to do.

Gohan was enraged, that much was for certain as he fired rapid ki blasts at the monster before him, expending his new found strength at an expedient rate. He hated staying on the side lines because he wasn't strong enough, he hated watching his friends get beaten to a pulp and being helpless to stop it.

No more.

"I won't let you hurt anyone else, you big bully!" he shouted as he gathered a large ki blast above his head, such power almost unfathomable for a child.

Frieza caught the blast as it was thrown, and found that it was actually causing him a minute amount of pain to keep it at bay. The boy was peculiar indeed, he was a Saiyan no doubt, but he had never seen one that had such hidden potential, especially hidden potential that was brought to the surface by dire times...

The tyrant launched the ball right back at the boy, along with his own dose of energy. There was no way, he couldn't be a Super Saiyan, right? He shook his head, such a notion was almost laughable. If that were a Super Saiyan, he truly had nothing to worry about.

Piccolo fired a powerful blast of his own, deflecting the potential threat from his ward, but at the cost of his remaining power.

Frieza cackled,

"Yes, struggle and writhe, but in the end you're no better than miserable insects." he shouted.

Adalina's ship was approaching the green planet rapidly, and she would be landing soon. An eerie sense of calm had come over her, and she felt as if she could do anything, as long as it was for the greater good. No matter the outcome, she had to prevail and overcome the forces that be.

She sighed, she still couldn't believe Frieza would make such a mess in light of other events, didn't he realize that they had much bigger problems to deal with? But perhaps this was his way of dealing with it.

Her ship alerted her to the approaching atmosphere, warning her to strap in.

This was it, the moment she had been dreading.

But the moment she knew would come one day.

It was a turning point, that was for sure.

"Are you prepared, to see a nightmare beyond Hell? My final form is not one to be trifled with. You should all feel honored, as this is a form only used for the worthiest of foes, though giving you lot such a hefty title leaves a bad taste in my mouth." the tyrant finished in his usual snarky tone.

Vegeta turned to Krillin, who was still hesitant about following through with the Saiyan's plan,

"It's now or never you imbecile! He'll kill us all!" he shouted.

"I'm sorry I-"

"No! No more apologies, show me that you're more useful than fate would make you out to be." the Prince raised his fist towards the small human, hoping to incite a fight or flight response.

No one on the battle field was privy to the silent ship breezing through the atmosphere.

Adalina was up in an instant after the ship had landed, her scouter instantly locking onto an ever increasing power level and shorting out. Frieza was transforming once more, but she wasn't sure why. Perhaps the Earth warriors had given him more trouble than he had bargained for.

"Hold on guys." she mumbled to herself as she jumped from the hatch, she could see the battle zone from the cliff she had landed her ship on and instantly took off, hitting top speeds. She could still save everyone, no one had to die.

The scene she stumbled upon was bizarre and she had no time to still her reaction as she sped between Krillin and Vegeta, grabbing the former's arm and directing it upwards as he charged a blast no doubt meant for the Saiyan Prince.

Her eyes were wide as she looked between the two, her breathing heavy from the short fly,

"What's going on here?" she questioned.

The two looked at her, not quite comprehending the quick order of events that had just occurred. It had all happened so fast.

"Adalina!?" Vegeta exclaimed, taken aback by the sudden appearance. She had actually showed, when they needed her most. His respect for her had dwindled some, but he found that it was slowly being restored as relief flooded his system.

"It's me, I'm here." she released Krillin's hand warily, "Now tell me why you were about to blast him." she calmly questioned the Earthling.

"To give him a power boost." he answered, his reluctance about the ordeal still evident in his voice.

Adalina sighed, her face looking tired and worn, much different from what Vegeta remembered,

"Always jumping to extremes. I can handle this, there's no need for that anymore."

He studied her face, noting the tired lines and weariness in her voice. Something had happened, that much was obvious. Maybe it had been what had stirred her newest transformation? He clearly remembered the circumstances for her first, she had been scared and backed into a corner.

"What happened to you?" he asked without really thinking.

Emotions flashed across her eyes, her usual bright irises rapidly melting into a pool of melancholy. She smiled at him and shrugged her shoulders, brushing it off, building up more walls of her own,

"Nothing really, got myself into a bind, but I'm here now and we have more important things to worry about."

Frieza had begun powering up, making a show out of his transformation. She had watched him slip into his base form so easily, and straight from his first form at that. He was taking his time intentionally, trying to insight fear.

He probably didn't even know she was there.

Not that he ever really noticed her.

Adalina clenched her fists and looked directly at the undulating ball of power before her, a new resolve settling within her. She surveyed the destruction around her, the broken Namekian being healed by Dende, the mortified look on her former guide's childish face, the defeated warriors.

The hole in Krillin's armor.

The Zandonian warrior took to the air, her mind made up as she gracefully glided towards the tyrant. He was still oblivious to her presence, too caught up in himself. She wanted to say that she was surprised by his recent behavior, but even now, she found that she had expected it.

Adalina stopped in front of him as his transformation came to an end, those around them taking in the new form with varying degrees of curiosity and fear, eyes roaming over stark white muscles and bright purple bio gems. Her own eyes found themselves wandering, reliving moments long past, her head on his shoulder, his hand tangled in her hair.

How could he have such contrasting personality traits? How was it that those same hands that had caused so much destruction, also be the same ones that played with Polarra?

"What have you done?" she questioned quietly, his eyes widening as he finally noticed her.

"What? What are you doing here, I specifically told you to stay off planet! Have you betrayed me as well?" he sounded genuinely hurt as those last words passed through his dark lips, his eyes narrowing.

"You know I would never do that to you." she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, "But I cannot let this go on any longer, you've done enough, Frieza, let's say we go home and forget about this?" she held a hand out, beckoning him to accept her offer.

He looked at her, his tail swishing back and forth behind him. The Arcosian turned his nose up at her offer, crossing his arms in a guarded manner,

"It seems you truly have gone mad then. How could you expect me to let them off easy after Vegeta blatantly betrayed me? After the Earthling's stole my Dragon Balls and rendered them useless?" his temper rose with every word, his face slowly contorting into on more befitting of his tone.

"Because it was a stupid wish to begin with, I don't know why it's so hard for you to see that. There would be no need for immortality if you weren't so paranoid, and there would be no need for paranoia if you would just trust me and let me in. We have bigger things to worry about than a few rogue Earthlings, wouldn't you say?"

She had struck a nerve, and not a good one as his temper was nearing the point of explosion,

"What makes you think you can talk to _me_ like that? What makes you think you can give _me_ orders?" he took a step towards her, "I suggest you move out of my way and allow me to deal with these pests before-"

"Before what, Frieza? Before you _make_ me move? Because I promise you, I will not. I'm done playing games with you. I know that I have no place being your moral compass, and I know that it's selfish of me to tell you how you should be living your life, but it's only because I care about your happiness and well-being, and I know you're not happy like this." she explained with a bite to her usual calm voice, "I just went through absolute _Hell_ because of you, and not to mention it was at the hands of our true enemy. You even said it yourself, we have much bigger problems to worry about."

Her words made him still, Cooler had said she was tortured hadn't he? He had forgotten that bit of information in lieu of all the action that had sprouted. He felt conflicted, his anger slowly bleeding to another issue. They had no right damaging what was his. And it had been enough to prompt a transformation...

She must have really been stressed, terrified.

"I can't deal with Lilith properly now, because I will never get my wish, now get out of my way!" he shouted, clearing his mind and focusing at the task at hand: releasing some stress of his own.

Adalina took a step back, her aura coming to life around her as her own temper flared,

"Then you can fight me." her tone cause something to twist in his stomach.

Was this it? Was he finally losing her?

Was he in the wrong?

No, she wasn't strong enough to over-power him, and he wouldn't let her leave, she meant too much to him. But perhaps the civil solution was truly the best? He grit his teeth and clenched his fist, she was right, and that only served to infuriate him further.

"Fine, I'll deal with you and _then_ I'll move onto the rest of you. You're so naive, Adalina my dear, to think that you are capable of defeating me." he chuckled darkly, a mask of indifference sliding into place, "Don't think I'm above smacking you around anymore. The state of our relationship means nothing on the battle field."

The bystanders had been watching the exchange with bated breath, most of them absolutely shocked at how the petite woman was talking to the powerful tyrant. How was it possible that someone could stand up to him so effortlessly? How was this at all possible?

Piccolo seemed to be the most shocked, having never heard of nor seen the lilac-skinned woman,

"Who is she?" he asked, his tone holding a modicum of respect for her.

"That's Frieza's second in command, from what I understand, she keeps him in check. She's not bad at all." Krillin explained.

"Her name is Adalina, she's been with him for over twenty years now, and has spear-headed many drastic changes within the PTO. As much as I hate to admit, he has changed a lot because of her presence. Had this fight happened any other time, none of us would be standing here." Vegeta explained coolly, "If anyone can deal with him, it's her."

The Zandonian warrior took a deep breath, pushing her power to its limits with a painful yell as she was not familiar with the strain it put on her body yet. She would fight him, for the sake of the universe.

For his own sake.

But a question was brought to the fore-front of her mind; was she doing this for him, or was she doing this for herself?

As her transformation came to an end, her mind muddled with power, one thing was for certain.

She was selfish.

She wanted him to be the best version of himself that he could be.

Not for the sake of the universe.

But for her.

But something inside said that she had fallen for him so thoroughly, that even if he won this fight and continued on a path with no redemption, she would follow him down.

Because she loved him.

Frieza took in the sight of his newly transformed second, and found that for the first time in his life, he had pride for someone other than himself. He didn't want to fight her, not truly, he wanted her to wait on the ship and let him do as he wished.

But he knew that wasn't within her moral standard.

He had changed a lot due to her, and most of it was unintentional, but one thing she would never take away from him was his power over others, his authority. He would not allow such meek beings to continue thinking they could slight him and get away with it.

Krillin, Gohan, Piccolo, and even Vegeta were shocked at the raw power she exuded, her aura bright red and rippling off of her in waves, it was enough to makes even ki-blind people nauseous. It was worrisome, however, because it was chaotic.

"She's..." Krillin trailed off.

"Just as powerful as he is..." Gohan finished.

Piccolo and Vegeta, however, saw the flaw within her transformation. It was new, and it was obvious to a skilled fighter that she was having trouble keeping it under control,

"Adalina you fool, you'll run out of power before you beat him." the Saiyan prince mumbled under his breath.

"What have you become, Frieza?" she asked him sadly, her voice not muffled by the black mask over her mouth.

"I've always been this way, you can't say you're surprised." he smirked.

"No, I'm not, just disappointed I guess, I thought we were getting somewhere, but I was wrong."

She lunged at him, using his lapse in concentration to strike. He was fast, she knew that, but even still she was not prepared when he raised a fore-arm block to counteract her racing fist.

She had never experience his true power first hand.

And she wasn't sure if she was prepared to.

 _ **A/N: Guys I am so sorry for the delay in last week's update! I stumbled into some poison ivy, and I'm super allergic to it, so I was scratching and miserable and unable to focus at all. I'm on week three and it's finally starting to fade away, so I say, leaves of three, leave it be. Not to mention, I attended my graduation, and then project grad (an all night fun thing) on Sunday, so I slept all day Monday. I am so so so sorry, but I hope this chapter makes up for it, even if we didn't get into the meat of the actual fight, but trust me, it's going to take up an entire chapter next week because it's summer and I haven't got a thing to do, unless I land a job...**_

 _ **Anyway, I'm working on a painting for this little group of chapters coming up and I'll hopefully be able to post it next week as well!**_

 _ **Also, Asteria8: Goku WILL be transforming :3 And I can't disclose the location of the planet our mystery person is located in, but it isn't Namek :3**_


	47. Chapter 43

_43_

 _Chapter Forty Three_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

 _"...it is impossible for you to defy me. You will never escape me."_ words from a time long passed echoed in her mind as she dodged a ki blast with much more force behind it than she was used to. She threw up a fore-arm to block a particularly volatile death beam, flexing her aura to disperse it.

Adalina ducked as another was aimed precisely at her torso, not a kill shot, but even then she almost made it one as it whizzed through her pony-tail, singing a few of the hairs. He was trying to deliver non-lethal blows, and that gave her some form of hope, but she knew he was only doing it because it was _her_.

She couldn't afford the same luxury, but maybe she could knock him out? Yeah that might work.

He used her momentary lapse in concentration to swipe her legs out from under her with his tail, but didn't take into account that it was a training drill they had done a thousand times. She reacted by instinct, pure muscle memory as she flipped into her fall, landing and firing a powerful ki blast, hitting him directly in the chest.

"Did you forget who you're fighting?" she questioned with a smirk, "We train together, using training tactics won't wo- ahhh!" she squeaked as his tail wrapped around her torso, lifting her up.

"It doesn't quite matter if I'm the stronger one, does it?" though he was beginning to think that her new transformation brought a lot to the table, something to be wary about. He gave a squeeze, but was suddenly reminded of a certain traumatizing memory, well, for her at least.

Adalina felt the familiar feeling of her ribs constrict, if he went any further they would surely break, just as his father had done to her years ago. But she wouldn't have it this time, she was no longer helpless, she could stand on her own against them.

She jumped forward and head-butted him, causing his grip to become loose enough for her to escape. Her ears were ringing, but hopefully his were as well. He growled and rubbed his fore-head,

"You're being childish. If you don't stand down, I'll take that as defiance of an order. I'll lock you up."

"You won't." she retorted, "Why can't we just end this and go home?"

"Because that's weak. I cannot allow such a slight to go unpunished." he reiterated his statement from earlier. Why couldn't she understand? It was simple, really. If he left he would be seen as a coward.

"I can assure you that this entire fiasco would be forgotten if we just left. "

"It would also be forgotten if they were all dead." he spat.

She sighed and shook her head, her menacing facade wilting as her true nature melted through,

"After all this time you still only worry for yourself." she outstretched her hand, a red ball of ki charging and crackling as her brows furrowed, "I will not let you go through with this. No matter the cost."

He glared and began charging a ball of ki of his own, his finger pointed at his side, a super nova,

"What? Are you saying you'll kill me?" his voice was low, daring her to say the words.

"I-" she stuttered, now faced with the decision, and unable to make it, "I can't trust myself to answer that." she fired the blast, hitting him in the chest and blowing him back. He had been caught off guard once again.

Adalina launched herself again, but found that her legs were beginning to weaken, her body growing wary. She was running out of time already..perhaps she was worse off than she thought?

Frieza was right with her, meeting her out-stretched fist with his own, grasping the appendage. She tried to throw her other but found herself in the same position, the two pushing against each other in a stalemate.

Sparks flew as they created a crater with the sheer force of their power, the planet shaking as if a quake were rocking through it.

Earth's fighters hunkered down, not use to the massive display of power as rocks and debris flew through the air. Vegeta had chosen to crouch behind a steady boulder, even he was a little wary. If they weren't careful, they could destroy the planet.

"Man, I didn't know people that powerful existed." Krillin commented.

"There are beings out there who are far above their rank." Vegeta replied, "Not to mention there's a woman with a staff powerful enough to end the universe as we know it, yet Frieza is here dealing with you peons because he got his ego hurt." he spat, knowing exactly what Adalina meant when she said they had bigger problems, "And she certainly won't be able to kill him either. They both have their problems, this fight is going to end the same, with our deaths." he had come to accept it as he watched the Zandonian's struggling features, her power was dropping.

Goku felt the two massive powers clash, the resulting force enough to rattle his healing tank, and the entirety of Namek, it seemed. This new-comer, Adalina, the woman who had taken Vegeta off of Earth, she was certainly strong. Yes, strong, but she had obviously just discovered this new form, and her juice was beginning to run low. But at least he knew that lives wouldn't be lost during the time it would take him to heal.

 _Hold him off for just a little longer..._

Frieza suddenly pulled back, allowing her to fall forward and into his waiting knee. It hit her hard in the gut, but still, she could tell that he was pulling his punches, _trying not to kill his precious possession._

No. Those days were long gone, he cared about her, he had to.

And she cared for him. Even through all this, her heart had not wavered. There was change present, and if she could just make him _see_ things the way she did, maybe his walls would crumble.

She countered by grabbing his shin and pulling him forward, causing him to stumble. She then grabbed him by the throat and slammed him to the ground with enough force to create fissures in the dirt,

"Stop pulling your punches. I'm not weak. This is a fight, treat it like one and stop toying with me." she spat, she didn't get angry often, but some things made her blood boil.

Like the condescending smirk her was giving her.

He easily pried her fingers from his throat,

"I'm merely asserting my dominance. They think you're strong, but I'm stronger."

In the blink of an eye he had gripped her by the throat and lifted her into the air. It would seem she would have to push herself even further, even if it meant shortening her time, and maybe even risking her life,

"My goal was never to be stronger than you, because I know it's impossible for me. I just...I just want you to be the best version of yourself you can be, and this isn't it. I know I have no place, but I don't think your mother would approve." she was walking a thin line with that one.

"She's dead." he stated blandly, so she could tell she had struck a nerve somewhere.

"What about those still alive? Arctica, Polarra?"

"That won't matter when I'm immortal."

"You won't ever be immortal."

"And whose fault is that?" his grip became tighter as his anger resurfaced.

She growled,

"You know, we have much bigger problems than your idle revenge." the lilt in her voice had become mocking as she quoted him directly.

He had no response to that as he threw her through a cliff-facing, obliterating the rocky surface, his face contorted with rage. He didn't want to hurt her, but her infuriating banter was beginning to make it impossible. Was this his fate? Was he not allowed to have both her, and his way?

He had tried, for so long, to cast away such infernal feelings for her, but in the end she always won. After his mother had died, he had had no trouble pushing people away, becoming his own person, isolating himself and killing those who stood against him.

But then _she_ showed up and put a dent in his walls.

And even when he wanted to do something, that would help protect her as well, she couldn't see beyond her _stupid_ moral compass.

She released a low yell, her frustration finally bubbling over. She charged at him with surprising speed, firing rapid ki blasts, one after another,

"Why won't you just _listen to me_?! I don't care if you're smarter than I am, more tactful, stronger I don't care about any of that, because in the end I know the difference between a good deed and one drenched with self-fulfillment and malice. I know where I stand, and I only want you to stand with me." she shouted.

Frieza was coughing from the onslaught of smoke and debris surrounding him, his body covered in small burns from blasts he couldn't dodge. Where had this sudden power boost come from? Was it fueled by her anger?

He growled as he walked through the smoke, still standing tall,

"Do you not realize how twisted it is to try and force your views on me as well?" he spat, "Some saint you are."

"I'm not forcing them, I'm only trying to see a different side of you, one that you hide away. You weren't always like this, I know it. I've seen it."

"Shut up and fight. This isn't time for idle debating." he spat, raising his hand towards her, palm flat as he fired a large ki blast.

Adalina pushed her power to it limits, and already she was feeling the strain, but she had to overcome this. She had to win.

She caught the blast and pushed against it, her hands searing with the heat, but she pressed on. She was strong enough to stand at his side.

She was strong enough to stand against him.

The blast was directed upwards with one final push, the Zandonian not stopping to rest as she fired a blast of her own right back at him. She was losing grip, she knew that...

"Just a little more." she whispered to herself as she watched Frieza dodge the blast, instantly swooping in with a side kick, catching him in the head.

He didn't budge.

The enraged Arcosian grabbed her ankle and spun her around, tossing her into the water.

The fight was happening so fast that even the skilled fighters on the side-lines were having trouble keeping up. The only indication at some points were the sonic booms caused by the two clashing warriors.

Adalina sat under the water, her eyes glowing a bright red through the sickly green liquid. She stilled herself, and contemplated her remaining options.

And she knew she only had one.

She began powering up once more, pushing her power to its absolute limit. It made her light-headed, and weak but she knew that it was her only chance. She could feel her time waning, and feared for what would come if she stayed in such a state for too long.

The Zandonian shot up and out of the water, levitating in the air as she set her sights on the tyrant who had yet to realize her reappearance.

She gathered a large ball of ki above her head, power rapidly swirling into a red mass that almost seemed to resemble the galaxy, with twinkling white stars.

"Frieza!" she yelled as she launched the ball, hoping that it was only enough to knock him out, and not kill him.

The Arcosian looked up, he hadn't even realized she had surfaced...it had all happened so fast. He knew she had a knack for gathering energy rapidly, but never had he thought she would be capable of this.

He held his hands out and caught the large ball, if he didn't push it back or dispel it, there was a chance it could go straight through the core of the planet.

And as much as he hated to admit, he didn't want her having that on her conscious.

But perhaps it would teach her a valuable lesson?

He smirked.

 _ **A/N: *Steps onto pedastel* Guys. I am sorry for being late, and it will probably happen again, as I have some orientation stuff going on. Please be patient with me. At least I'm only ever a week late, if it's ever longer than a week and you haven't heard anything from me, assume I've abandonded ship (which won't happen) I AM GOING TO UPDATE EARLY THIS WEEK AS AN APOLOGY TOO, I WILL HAVE THE NEXT CHAPTER OUT BY SATURDAY.  
ANNNND late again, I'm sorry. This weekend has been devastating, and being a part of the LGBTQ+ Community myself, it really hit home. Plus, Christina Grimmie died, and man, she was such an inspiration to me. I hope that any of you grieving can find peace. Keep Orlando in your thoughts. **_

_**But mostly, I was late due to internet problems, curse you AT &T!**_

 _ **Anyway, I'm trying to break this fight scene up and not have it in one mega chapter, though I think next chapter will probably be our conclusion.**_

 _ **I also finished the painting for this arc! It's on my deviantart: Kurokagamiimeji!**_

 _ **Until next week!**_


	48. Chapter 44

_44_

 _Chapter Forty Four_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

Lilith had been watching the events unfold on her crystal ball, tucked away in her castle. Her fists were trembling as she toyed with the idea of going to Namek personally. If Adalina dealt with Frieza, she would merely use her honeyed words and conniving attitude to turn him onto the path of 'righteousness', which meant he wouldn't be dead, and would be able to pursue her. And she might even be convincing enough to rally the Earthling's against her, potential Super Saiyan and all.

"This plan is going to shit, all because of one little girl who doesn't know when to give up." she clenched her jaw painfully, trying to come up with a solution.

If her information was correct, the scientists on Arcos now had scouters capable of reading their power signatures. Perhaps she should pay the planet a little visit? Get rid of a few pests, sooth her anger, _and_ make sure that she stayed hidden.

It was a marvelous plan.

"I'm leaving, watch the house." she called out, disappearing into a swirl of shadows.

* * *

Cooler was on his way back to planet Arcos, having cleared up the situation on Frieza's planet. So much destruction, and for what? He didn't quite understand it, but it looked like they were trying to lure Adalina off of Namek. But why? He supposed he would find out eventually, when the entire thing came to a close. Something suspicious was going on behind the scenes, no doubt.

Zarbon sighed as he played cards with Salza, Neizu, and Doore, the soldiers discussing the variances of their lords,

"You see, with Frieza it use to be, do this or be killed, but then Adalina showed up and miraculously made him abandon those tactics. I'm surprised she's managed to get this far."

"I honestly don't know what she sees in him, this whole fiasco happened, and she's still running back to him." Salza replied bitterly, "He doesn't care about her as much as she cares for him, it's bound to end in disaster."

"Yeah, seems kind of crazy to me." Neizu replied, Doore nodding his head in agreement.

"I told her she wasn't going to get anywhere with him, but it seems I'll have to concede defeat, unless this fight doesn't turn out how she wants." Zarbon tucked a stray strand of forest green hair behind his ear, "Honestly, she has the wits to over-throw him, and after that display earlier, maybe even the strength."

Cooler entered the room, catching the tail end of the conversation,

"She would never do that. She wants to improve my brother's ability to rule, because believe it or not, he has the potential to change the way this universe works, and for the better at that. Adalina merely wishes to aid him, she's not the type to rule an empire." he commented with a stoic face.

The occupants in the room all seemed to turn his words over and find that they made sense. Frieza did have a lot of potential to be a great leader, and perhaps _that_ is what she saw in him.

* * *

"Mom!" Polarra yelled, drawing out the vowel in an unnecessary display of 'dismay', "I didn't mean to I swear it!"

Arctica sighed and closed her eyes, trying to find a reasonable explanation for limiting her daughter's outdoor 'adventures',

"Polarra dear, I know you didn't mean it, and I know that it was an accident, but you hurt a very prominent individual within the kingdom. Until I can smooth this over, I don't want you leaving the palace by yourself, and I would prefer if you didn't leave at all."

The young girl scowled, her visage strikingly resembling the face Frieza would make when Orithyia told him he couldn't do something,

"It's not like he's mad or anything. He even said so, mom. I don't see why you have to punish me for an accident-"

"Enough, Polarra!" she didn't raise her voice often with her daughter, but the stress of the past few days was beginning to get to her, "He's dangerous. Please just listen to me, okay?" she whispered.

The young girl released a sound of frustration before stomping out of her mother's personal quarters.

Kain was not angry. He was livid. Why couldn't Orithyia keep a leash on her over-powered little brat? It wasn't that difficult.

"Ah, watch it! That stings!" he snapped as the doctor at hand dabbed antiseptic in a particularly raw wound. He had merely bumped into the kid! How was it possible that someone's power could be so chaotic it was set off by mere brushing of skin?

He supposed that's why Lilith was considering her as a vessel. He smirked, nothing visible to the doctors treating his burnt lacerations. Perhaps this was the evidence she had been looking for? Polarra's power was immense, but they had no real gauge on what she was capable of.

The traitorous Arcosian closed his eyes, tapping into the supernatural line that connected him to his master.

* * *

She had received the mental message loud and clear, yes, there were now multiple benefits of traveling to the planet, no matter how cold she was. She shook her hair, knocking snow-flakes to the ground as she observed the precariously positioned castle.

She would have no trouble destroying their precious scouters, and stealing their little chaos-maker. None of them were strong enough to oppose her, and those that would be, were off fighting their own senseless battles.

How quaint.

The demoness raised her hands, conjuring a few underworld soldiers to help cause a bit of mayhem. They would no doubt detect her presence, so she would need to distract them with a little surprise.

"Your majesty! Urgent news!" a lab technician shouted fervently as he slammed the doors to her room open, "The scouters have detected demon activity."

Arctica was visibly alarmed as she sat her book down and stood from her study,

"Where?" she quickly inquired.

"Here. On Arcos." her stomach dropped.

"Alert the soldiers." she called as she dashed out of the room in search of her daughter.

Cooler was on his way, but would he arrive in time? She was strong enough on her own, and she had access to the Kold family army, but these demons were on a level all their own.

Lilith smirked as she watched her demons swarm the dainty ice fortress in a swirl of tendril-like shadows.

"Scouters first, kid last." she smirked, allowing her mouse-like familiar to map out the castle and pin-point the laboratory they were no doubt located in, "Oh Frieza, how is your family going to feel? You abandoned them for immortality, and left them vulnerable and exposed."

"Polarra, give me your scouter." Arctica urgently requested as she stormed into her daughter's room, locking the door behind her.

"Why? What's going on?" she questioned as she handed her the red device from her night-stand.

The queen quickly contacted her nephew, the contact already assigned to its own personal button.

Cooler answered, the occupants in the room giving him odd looks as his face darkened.

"What is it my lord?" Salza questioned.

"We'll be right there, just hold them off until then. Damn it, Salza, tell the pilots to jump to the tertiary hyper-drive." the usually calm Arcosian seemed almost panicked as he dished out orders, "The demons are on Arcos." was his simple explanation.

He walked out of the room, back to his throne room to strap in, just as the alarms began blaring, alerting the occupants that the ship was about to get a whole lot faster, and with it, came a danger of being splattered against a wall.

He couldn't believe how this mess was escalating.

And Frieza had no idea.

No, he was too busy fighting someone who wanted to help him.

"You fool, we really do have bigger problems." he sighed.

Lilith chuckled as she infiltrated the lab, killing the meek scientists with practiced ease. She allowed her shadows to roil, destroying the entire room. So much information wiped clean, and by her hand no less.

"I'm coming for you, Polarra, and no one's going to be there to save you this time."

Kain smirked as he settled himself in his bed, ignoring the 'urgent' alert he had just received.

He would dethrone the Kold family in due time, sooner than he thought even.

Life was great.

 _ **A/N: Annnnd you will get another chapter on Monday, so don't fret it. Thank you all for being patient with me 3 I hope I didn't throw you for too big of a loop with this one, but it will have major significance later on, in the next arc.**_  
 _ **Until Monday!**_


	49. Chapter 45

_45_

 _Chapter Forty Five_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

Vegeta's mind was racing as he watched the events unfold, saw the focused determination in Adalina's eyes. The malicious smirk that had sprouted on Frieza's face. If that blast hit the planet, it would no doubt destroy it, or come close to it.

Had he lost his mind?

"Frieza you idiot if you let that blast hit the core of this planet you'll kill everyone, including Adalina!" the prince shouted as he stood from his hiding spot.

The tyrant stopped, his malicious smirk fading as the prince's words hit him. He hadn't thought about that. She wouldn't just be learning a lesson by destroying the planet she had fought so hard to protect, she would be perishing along with it...

With a growl and a scream he kicked the massive ball of energy into the atmosphere, singeing his leg. The exhaust of power had been enough to weaken him, and he found himself with that odd feeling of pride and anger once more.

"A blast of that size could have destroyed the planet had I decided to dodge." he explained darkly, looking the shocked woman in her eyes, "You're becoming sloppy and reckless; your new power isn't holding up too well, is it?" he smirked.

"Shut up." she replied, her breathing heavy as sweat dotted her brow.

"You're not strong enough to defy me, so step aside. I don't want to hurt you, but I will." he spat.

"Then do it." her mind began swimming as a fog fell over her. The feeling wasn't unfamiliar, it was one associated with losing control.

 _This isn't suppose to happen. I trained._

Frieza watched as her expression suddenly went blank and robotic like. Her body was rigid, and her eyes gave him an uneasy feeling, their cold depths nearly sending a shiver down his spine.

Vegeta had long since taken shelter after his heroic save, neatly tucking himself amongst the Earthlings again,

"What's up with her?" Krillin asked, observing the hauntingly still Adalina.

"Her body goes on auto-pilot when it is in immense danger. This isn't the first time." he replied stoically, confused on how she was able to do it. Her power was steadily growing, even though it had been about to run out mere moments before.

Frieza cautiously walked towards her, his idiotic feelings taking precedence,

"Adalina? Can you hear me?" he questioned when he was standing before her.

Her fist suddenly snapped out, catching him in the jaw and sending him to the ground. He was more shocked than anything, left to wonder at how her power had suddenly gone up.

She was oddly mute, her face lacking any emotion. It was as he had feared, her body had gone on auto-pilot, but this time, she wasn't leagues below him. It would be difficult to snap her out of it.

"Hopefully this means more fighting and less talking." he smirked as he stood, a small bruise decorating his cheek.

Frieza's tail lashed out, shooting towards its intended target with startling accuracy. Adalina deftly dodged out of the way, flipping out of range. As she landed a black mask slammed over her face, only adding to her imposing presence. The tyrant wasn't sure what to think. He supposed it was time to take things more seriously.

How far she had come, with her by his side they would be unstoppable.

She had even managed to weaken him, if only a little. Such a strong warrior he had found.

He tapped into fifty percent of his power, barely straining before he fired a death beam towards her.

She dodged in a predictable fashion, ducking to avoid having her head shot off by the suspiciously slow beam. Frieza phased behind her and kicked her in the back, knocking her into the dirt with a thud. He formed his hand into a blade and aimed it for the base of her neck, fully intent on knocking her out.

Adalina sensed something was up and she quickly turned and caught the hand, staring him down. She fired a blast at point-blank range, hitting him in the chest and propelling him into the sky.

Frieza grunted in pain as the powerful ball of energy spun and scorched his chest, nearly making him unable to concentrate. He looked past the pain and expanded his aura with a shout of frustration, his fists trembling as he held them out by his sides.

The Arcosian recovered and began firing rapid blasts at her, every time she would dodge one, another would barrel into her torso. It was her own tactic, being used against her.

That didn't mean she couldn't use his own tactic against him.

 _Obliterate rapid blasts_.

She stood still, taking the brunt of the blasts before charging a ball of energy and engulfing the blasts, and their sender. Frieza didn't have time to react as the blast disintegrated against his porcelain skin, leaving black marks and faint cuts.

Adalina dove through the smoke and kicked him in the gut, the force enough to cause blood to rupture from his dark lips. She was no longer pulling her punches, or perhaps she had gotten stronger somehow? Her hits were beginning to _hurt_ , and that wasn't something that Frieza had experienced for quite some time, and most certainly not from her.

He growled, anger beginning to rise. He would not be tossed around like filth, and not by someone who was suppose to be weak. Perhaps he needed to stop pulling his punches as well? As long as he didn't kill her, it would be fine.

Frieza pounced, Adalina tried to dodge, but she wasn't nearly fast enough . The tyrant caught her by the wrist and pulled her towards him, slamming his elbow into her diaphragm. The blow had successfully knocked the air from her lungs, leaving her stunned as she dropped to the ground below.

Adalina attempted to fire a blast, but it was batted away by a fuming Arcosian as he descended upon her. He would no longer partake in her silly games.

"This has gone on far too long for my tastes." his face was stoic, guarded, "I hope your little Earthling friends are prepared to fight." he smirked, casting a side glance at their hiding spot.

Adalina wasn't able to truly process what was being said, her mind still a muddled mess of warnings.

But she knew that she was losing her footing in the battle, and that it would only be a matter of time before she was out of the fight completely.

Goku had been monitoring the battle between the two super powers, and at times he had wondered if he could keep up once he was healed. But the fate of the universe was no doubt resting in his hands now, as he felt Adalina's power begin to become frantic, dropping with every second. He would be the only thing standing between his friends and the tyrant now.

He would fight with everything he had to save his friends, and maybe even help guide the wayward alien towards a path of light.

His time in the healing tank was coming to a close, and a new power began rising within him, a confirmation of his earlier brush with death. Sometimes he disliked being a Saiyan, but at least it meant he got a power boost from fighting!

* * *

Lilith chuckled to herself as she slowly made her way through the castle, killing whoever dared to get in her way. She wasn't even worried about the happenings on Namek, no she would have nothing to worry about if Polarra's power was truly at the level Kain said it to be. She was going to wait a few years to see how the girl's power progressed before nabbing her, but it seemed it was already matured enough for her uses.

She would give them all the time in the world to call upon their army, to prepare themselves, but the truth of the matter was that without either of the princes on planet, they were helpless.

Cooler's ship rocketed through the atmosphere, docking right outside of the palace. The landing seemed to edge on forever, the ship slowly setting its landing gear on the harsh terrain.

He couldn't help but think that the happenings on Namek were somehow connected to the demons, and that they were using Arcos' vulnerability to strike. Frieza was occupied, but that didn't mean he was.

And he'd be damned if anything happened to their only remaining family.

The crown prince maneuvered his scouter, contacting his aunt,

"Arctica, I'm nearly to the palace." he stated, "Are you two alright?"

"Yes, we're fine, but hurry. I've been holding off these shadow monsters with ki blasts, but I fear I'm not match for any of the actual demons." she replied as Polarra scorched another one with careful precision as it slipped under the base of the door.

"I'll be there shortly."

* * *

Adalina was determined to come out on top as she scrambled to her feet, taking a fighting stance once more. She pushed off from the dirt, taking to the air, fully intent on delivering a scathing blow to his cranium.

She was totally thrown off as her feet hit nothing, causing her to stumble and hit the ground on her knees. He was faster than her.

He was stronger than her.

And he was going to win.

The tyrant wasted no time in phasing behind her and delivering a well-placed blow to the base of her neck.

Her vision went fuzzy, but through the moment of haze, her mind cleared, allowing her to see the smirk on his face as she fell backards. He was triumphant. He was proud, and he was absolutely giddy that he was getting his way.

It sickened her.

The world faded to black.

"Checkmate." he murmured as he caught her falling body.

 _ **A/N: Finally, I really didn't want to drag that fight scene out, but I got going and couldn't stop! That's Dragon Ball Z I guess. Now you'll finally get to see what role Goku will play in all this. And don't worry, Adalina's fight isn't over yet, she's just out of the game for a bit.**_

 _ **Will Frieza have his way? Will the Earthlings survive? Find out next time on Moral Compass! And expect a longer chapter, I have a whole week to write. This one was churned out in two days.**_  
 _ **OH AND WE HAVE A TWITTER NOW! The handle is MoralCompassfic**_


	50. Chapter 46

_46_

 _Chapter Forty Six_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

 _"Adalina, you can't try and change everyone's mind. This isn't your decision to make." Hannelore was crouched down, staring her daughter directly in the eye, "I don't like it either, but there's really nothing we can do." she hated what was going on, as she was never one to bow to authority, but there was simply nothing to be done._

 _"He's not bad..he's just misunderstood!" her young mind rationalized, tears gathering in her eyes, "He didn't mean it, I know he didn't! He was scared, he lashed out because those kids cornered him." she was angry once more as she recalled the scene of local bullies terrorizing her poor Pekki, and then running off to their mother's when one of them got bit._

 _"Adalina sweaty, the world is bigger than you are. The majority rules, and the majority wants this animal to be put down. That's just how it works, and there's really no changing it. I'm sorry, but you're just too young to do anything." Avicus explained slowly as he approached the two, "You're one person against many. There are too many odds against you."_

 _The stubborn girl turned away from her parents and stomped off to her room, not wanting to hear about how useless she was to change anything. She could, and she would, no matter what. But first, she needed a plan._

 _She gently closed her door, so as to not insight her parent's anger. No sense in having them become suspicious of her._

 _Adalina sat upon her bed, her arms and legs crossed as she began formulating her rescue mission. She knew they had to be keeping him at the shelter, more than likely muzzled and locked away from any interaction. That thought nearly made her begin crying once more. He had been all alone before she had found him wandering the streets, and even though her parents had not wanted her to bring him home, she still played with him every day out in the plaza. She made sure he had food and water, and a warm bed to sleep on when the nights became chilly._

 _She took care of him even though he stubbornly refused her at times._

 _The young girl sighed, she was getting off track. She needed to figure out how to sneak away, and get into the shelter, without being caught. Course' there was always that chance that he was being kept somewhere else. No way, there wasn't anywhere else in town._

 _She would have to wait for her parents to fall asleep_ _._

 _With her plan set in stone, she found something to occupy her time, and when it was time for her to go to bed, she pretended, until her sensitive ears were able to make out the sound of her parent's steady breathing. Her brother was out of town visiting a few military friends, there was no way he would be home._

 _She wouldn't dare try and recruit Mayrista, the poor girl fell in and out of health too frequently for her to risk getting her into any trouble. She would go at it alone._

 _Adalina pulled a black sweater over her head. She had always been told she was mischievous, and perhaps that stemmed from her intelligence. She was twelve, and already ahead of her classmates. She slipped on black pants as well, if she was able to slip within the darkness, she would be good to go._

 _She pulled her thick hair into a bun and shoved it underneath a black winter cap._

 _Her eyes were filled with determination as she opened her bedroom window, looking critically at the long drop. Good thing her brother taught her to fly, well, levitate more like it. She wasn't any good, but it was enough to prevent her from breaking an ankle._

 _She lightly landed on the golden grass, wincing as she snapped a twig. There was no way that was enough to wake her parents up, animals broke things in the night constantly._

 _She marched on into the night, heading straight for the imprisonment that condemned her innocent Pekki._

* * *

Frieza placed his second's unconscious body at the feet of those she had tried so hard to protect. Their eyes were wide with fright, and disbelief. She was strong, and yet she too had fallen at the hands of the tyrant, and that did not bode well for any of their chances.

If only Goku was healed.

"Tell me, how well do you think you'll fair now?" he questioned sinisterly, "Because I think that your chances of survival just dropped." he sneered as he finished his sentence, "Such insolent fools, the lot of you, including _her_. My mind was made up the second I saw those spheres turn to stone. You'll pay for what you've done."

Vegeta smirked,

"Perhaps it was this entire ordeal, but I've long since forgotten my dreams of immortality, so why are you so hung up on it? Afraid of a little demon?" he knew he shouldn't have said it the moment the words left his mouth, but it was too late to retract them.

Frieza's face instantly went dark, his brows furrowing, eyes narrowing. He had tolerated such comments for far too long, and he was at his breaking point, plus, there was no longer anyone to tell him what was he was doing was _wrong_ ,

"Vegeta, do you not know how to keep that mouth of yours closed? Or are you a fan of hastening your death?" he growled, not answering the prince's taunt.

"Seems I struck a nerve. You _are_ afraid of that woman, just as much as you are afraid of the Super Saiyan legend, no doubt." he continued, feebly attempting to buy that idiot Kakarot a few more minutes to show.

Frieza suddenly whipped an arm out, firing a death beam straight through the Prince's chest, his teeth clenched as he held back a barely contained yell.

"That was the last mistake you'll ever make, Vegeta." he spat, "There's no one who can save you now." he pointedly looked at the unconscious woman at his feet.

The Saiyan fell to his knees, clutching the wound, it wasn't enough to kill him instantly, but it was precise enough to cause him suffering until he finally bled out.

"Dende!" Piccolo called to the small child as he gently crawled from his hiding spot, towards the fallen prince. He shouldn't feel the need to even breath in Vegeta's direction, not after what he had done to his brethren, but something said that this man was the only thing standing between his friends and the tyrant.

Frieza caught site of the little Namekian, the one who was capable of healing...

He pointed his finger towards the young child, preparing to strike.

The blast fired.

But was batted away as a wash of orange stood in his view.

* * *

 _Adalina sat on her stomach, surveying the shelter from afar. She had her ears tuned in to every little movement inside and outside of the building. She was listening for patterns, and so far, she had been able to make out a critical one. She could hear two separate sets of footsteps, who she assumed to be guards. There was only one time when both of them were away from the entrance, on opposite sides of the building, her best chance._

 _But the whole building was set with an alarm system, Fortunately for her, the power box to the system was stationed outside and labeled quite openly. It could have been a trap though._

 _She didn't think they were smart enough to think that far ahead._

 _The young girl moved quickly when she heard the familiar sounds of footstops stopping at their posts, heading for the power box. She arrived within no time and gently opened the door to the box, and was pleasently surprised._

 _"It's just an on/off lever? How is that smart." she commented out loud, obviously pulled the lever, holding her breath just in case it sounded the alarm._

 _When nothing happened she breathed a sigh of relief and looked towards the door._

 _Adalina crouched low and tip-toed over to the front entrance where she proceeded to tug on the door-handle...and to her surprise it opened. She guessed it had something to do with the new electronic locking mechanisms that had gained popularity. They were useless if their power source was cut, which was probably part of the alarm system box._

 _Unbeknownst to the young girl sneaking into the shelter, the guards knew exactly what was going on. Alarms didn't need to be loud to alert those in the vicinity. They were watching and waiting, weapons drawn. They weren't aware that it was nothing more than a little girl._

 _Though they were probably right to be on guard._

 _Adalina was instantly set off when she caught sight of the small, blinking red lights along the building's interior. The alarm was silent. Great._

 _She ducked into a room as she heard running footsteps,_

 _"Come out right now! We know you're in here!" a distinct male voice shouted._

 _The young girl backed further into the room, and was startled by growling._

 _Her wide eyes turned to catch the glimpse of blazing red eyes, ones that would have instilled fear in anyone else fumbling around in the dark. But not her._

 _"Pekki!" she whispered._

* * *

Goku stood tall, his form dwarfing the tyrant's. He cast a quick glance to the purple-skinned woman lying unconscious at his feet, almost like a barrier between himself and the alien before him. She wasn't nearly as scuffed up as he thought, but the man before him was covered in small scratches, burns, and bruises. She had done quite the number on him, and yet, he hadn't done the same to her.

Frieza growled, every time his anger seemed to still, a new irritant reared its head. This had to be the infamous Kakarot,

"Is this your savior? Pathetic." he smirked, hiding his temper. No matter, he would deal with this new threat with ease, he wouldn't have it any other way. He had had enough of this trip.

They were all entranced by Goku's obvious power increase. If anyone could go toe to toe with the tyrant, it was him. The Earth raised Saiyan always came out on top, and would defend his friends and family with everything he had.

"Pathetic? Ha, of course you would say that, you can't sense ki." Vegeta spluttered from his position on the ground, "And you'll need time to recover after that little power up earlier, because your ki has dropped."

"Please stay still." Dende admonished.

"He's become what you truly fear."

Frieza's eyes widened. There was no way the man before him could be..?

"I don't know what you're talking about, but I do know that I can't let you hurt my friends. This ends now, Frieza." Goku stated calmly, his brows furrowed as he stared down the alien.

"Let's fight elsewhere, I'd rather not lose my second in command as well." he blandly replied.

The statement was simple, but it gave the Saiyan a sense of hope, that perhaps Frieza wasn't a lost cause. He did genuinely care for the woman, and anyone who was capable of that, couldn't be completely bad. He had seen many of his former enemies walk along a path of light, and the tyrant was no different.

The two began powering up, the beginning of a fight that would change _everything._

* * *

 _"How lucky am I?" she smiled as she stared into the locked cage, the feline-like animal muzzled like some beast, "I'm going to get you out of there!"_

 _The animal seemed scared, and was still growling at her, but she chalked that up to how he had probably been treated. Everyone in town treated him like a monster, but he really wasn't. He was the nicest Kret she had ever met._

 _She quietly took the pad-lock in her hands, testing its limit. She could probably pull it off, but it would creak, and would bring attention to her. She'd have to break it off and make a run for it._

 _Adalina set her plan in motion, pulling on the lock with all her might, the metal groaning and hissing under the pressure. The unexpected happened as the entire cage door broke away from its hinges, the weak metal not holding up. She fell on her bottom, the door falling on top of her._

 _She quickly pushed it off and crawled over to Pekki, coaxing the animal,_

 _"Come on we've got to go." she whispered urgently, the sound of hurried footsteps causing panic to rise._

 _The animal seemed to realize who she was as he jumped from the cage, standing by her side._

 _Adalina took off in a brisk run, heading straight for the exit, Pekki keeping up without trouble._

 _"Hey! Get back here!" frenzied voices called after her, but she was long gone._

 _She ran until she couldn't anymore, finding herself in the middle of the thick woods, her breathing heavy, but a large smile was plastered on her face, even as she place her hands on her knees and heaved air into her aching lungs._

 _"They told me I couldn't do it." she smiled, "But I did." ,Adalina reached for the muzzle on the animals face, and undid it, "You won't be able to stay in town anymore, but if you stay in the woods, I'll come see you every day."_

 _The animal seemed to scoff at her, his eyes calculating._

 _She placed a hand on his head to pat the distressed animal, but was caught off guard as sharp teeth dug into her wrist. The animal released her just as quickly before it ran off into the darkness._

 _Adalina fell on her bottom, clutching her wrist, blood seeping from the wound. Why?_

 _She had done everything she could for the animal, and yet one measly mishap, and he hurt her. He was no longer trusting of her kind._

 _And he hurt her._

Tears stained the woman's face in her unconscious state, those around her not privy to the parallels she had made in her mind.

He had hurt her.

 _ **A/N: And bam! Sorry if this was boring for anyone, but it was an idea I had always wanted to implement, but never had the chance until now.**_

 _ **Anyway, we have a Twitter, in case you missed it last chapter, the handle is moralcompassfic.**_

 _ **Until next week!**_


	51. Chapter 47

_47_

 _Chapter Forty Seven_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

 _ **Please read the A/N at the end of this chapter, it's important.**_

Arctica was a fighter, with all the spit and spirit of a wild Stag. Growing up, her father had trained her sister and herself in the art of swordsmanship, as it was considered more elegant and lady like than throwing punches. Orithyia excelled, where she fell short. She much preferred getting close and personal with her enemies, and was prone to getting into fights with the other noble children.

Her sister was kind, compassionate, and not quick to anger.

Arctica was hot-tempered, meddling, and misunderstood. Most of those qualities had long since left her, save for her temper. She didn't get angered often, but when she did, it was explosive.

Most of her fights stemmed from her need to protect those that she cared for, mainly her sister. Orithyia was capable of defending herself, and her power was unmatched at the time, but when it came time to fight back against common bullies, it was always Arctica who stood up for the bashful girl.

And even now, in the present day, she found her rage threatening to over-flow as she ran down the corridors of the castle, Polarra in tow.

How dare someone think that they could just invade _her home_? How dare someone come after her only daughter?

"Come out and play, Arctica. I can strike at any moment, you know.", a disembodied voice echoed through the building, reverberating deep within her chest and inciting a cold fear, "Just hand her over, you know you want to. You mortal creatures are all the same with your selfish desire to live. No matter what planet nor universe, you're all willing to throw someone else under the guillotine, so that it may prolong your life."

The Arcosian woman ignored her and gripped Polarra's hand tighter as she picked up speed, headed for the throne room where Cooler had discreetly set up an ambush. Though, if Lilith was truly privy to the entire castle, she would be expecting it.

The door to their solace was in her sights, only a little further and she'd have back up.

She outstretched her hand, hoping to grab the handle, but instead she fell short, drawing the appendage back quickly.

Lilith had appeared within a roil of shadows, a smirk gracing her delicate ruby lips. Her hand was on her hip, the other one relaxed at her side, yet ready to pounce.

"Get out of my way." she growled, pushing her daughter behind her in one fluid motion, "You're not welcome here."

The demon feigned hurt as she placed a hand to her lips,

"Oh my, what an inhospitable queen, I've only come to chat." she said sweetly, the bloody patterns decorating her arms contrasting against the facade. Even Frieza wasn't that foreboding and sinister. Sure he was angered easily, and the result of his anger was less than pleasant, but this was different.

If she had to gander, the woman didn't feel much emotion at all.

"I am not hospitable to people like you."

"Oh, but you keep Frieza around?"

"He's not like you."

"I beg to differ, we're after the same thing, after all." she chuckled, "The only difference is that I am now opposing him, and overthrowing him."

Arctica reached out with her mind, finding her daughter's thoughts quite easily. The young girl was terrified, and it broke her heart, but she would protect her no matter what,

 _"Polarra, I need you to run as fast as you can when I say so, ok? Run into the throne room and find your cousin. Be brave for me, ok?"_ she instructed.

 _"Okay mama."_ her eyes filled with determination. She had to be brave, like Adalina, and her cousins.

With a yell Arctica powered up, her aura enough to distract the demoness in front of her,

"Now, Polarra!" she shouted as she dived for the other woman, pulling her forward and away from the door.

The little Arcosian wrenched the door open and scrambled inside, running straight for her concerned cousin, who had left his hiding spot.

"What's going on?" he asked, "where's your mom."

"It's that woman, she's fighting with her." the young girl explained, out of breath from the harrowing ordeal.

Cooler's eyes widened as he rushed to the door, only to side-step as the two women went barreling through the open door way, crashing into an expensive vase.

"Cooler!", Arctica shouted, "Don't just stand there gawking, help me!", she commanded.

The Arcosian's eyes narrowed as he nodded his head once, before jumping to action.

Lilith had managed to free herself and was standing confidently with the same inferior smirk plastered on her face. Shadows pooled at her feet, their tendrils lapping out, as if coaxing her enemies to come closer.

"You want a real fight? I'll show you how useless you all are." she cackled delicately, as if her monstrous personality was somehow elegant in any way, "Do you want to know what true terror is like?"

They weren't sure what to think of her bold statement, until the entire room was plunged into darkness.

* * *

"Have you heard what they're saying about our child? Our _daughter_?" Hannelore spat as she stared her husband down, her arms crossed.

"Honey, it's just town gossip." Avicus held his hands out in a motion to calm his wife's testy temper.

"Just town gossip? Avi they're demonizing our only remaining child, who might I remind you, we thought was dead. Come to find out she's alive, and Frieza's highest ranking soldier.", her brows were furrowed, her lips turned up in a scowl.

"And she is our daughter, and we know that there's another reason for her being there. And besides, it looks like she's made a change in him. Have you heard of any planets being cleared since ours?" she shook her head, "Then ignore them, and have faith in your daughter."

She took a seat on the couch beside her husband, rubbing the bridge of her nose,

"What am I suppose to feel?" she asked quietly.

"You're allowed to feel angry at them, but don't let it eat at you." he explained, placing an arm around her.

"I just don't understand why she hasn't visited." she quietly asked, mostly to herself.

Avicus contemplated that, trying to come up with a rational reason. Their daughter was bull-headed, and always did what she thought was best,

"Perhaps she would rather not cause a stir? Or maybe Frieza won't allow her? She could be busy." he listed off a few plausible reasons.

"She could be dead, or locked away somewhere.", she countered, "That Frieza is despicable, no matter what anyone says."

"Don't talk like that, I'm sure she's fine. She's a strong woman, she can take care of herself." he comforted, though deep down, he had the same fear.

"Yes, and we also thought no harm would come to Krayton." she countered.

They fell into tense silence, both of them over thinking the fate of their only remaining child. In truth, they felt as if something bad had happened to Adalina, a tumbling whir of emotions cascaded through each of them.

Little did they know, their daughter was lying unconscious on a planet far away.

* * *

"Frieza, if you leave now, we don't have to take this any further." Goku called out, "I can look past all that you've done today."

"Ha, it's not that easy, _monkey._ I'm not going anywhere until you and your merry band of misfits are lying dead at my feet, is that understood?" he spat in reply.

"What would she think?" the Saiyan looked towards the cliff where Adalina was at, "I'm sure she wouldn't agree with what you just said."

"It doesn't matter what she thinks, and it never has. I should have left her to die on that miserable planet years ago." he didn't mean it, but he was angry, and frustrated.

"I know you're bluffing. There's a real relationship between you two. You care for her, whether you realize that or not." Goku wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Shut up and fight." he growled, charging for the infernal Saiyan once more.

"Do you really think he cares about her? He's not using her?" Krillin asked, looking towards Vegeta.

"It's hard to believe, but yes, he does. They sleep together every night because he can no longer sleep alone. If anyone so much as looks at her, they get quite the warning from him. Though for as much as they seem to care for one another, they still don't trust each other." he laughed mirthlessly, "And for good reason I suppose."

"It seems like a bad mix." Gohan commented, "I'm surprised it took this long for them to fight each other."

"It was only a matter of when, a matter of when she would be strong enough to face him, that's how it has always been, even from the beginning." Vegeta's tone had gone serious, "Frieza is manipulative, even towards her. He tried to craft the perfect killing machine, but when her power began growing, he cut back on her training, the same thing he did with me. He thought no one would notice, but I did, he was beginning to fear her revolt."

"Yeah with good reason, she's kind of scary." Krillin laughed nervously.

"Her energy is unpredictable, that's why he wanted her. Their entire relationship is built upon a power struggle. This fight was inevitable, I only hoped that the outcome would have been different."

As Adalina lay, unaware of the world around her, her mind constructed demons for her to battle.

And the all stemmed from the same pale face.

 _ **A/N: First thing. I am switching from weekly updates, to bi-weekly update, for my own health and for the quality of this story. I landed a job recently, and I've found myself biting off way more than I can chew, and it's stressing me out. So I will be updated every two weeks, still on Monday. I've stuck with a weekly update for nearly a year, and with only a handful of missed deadlines, I think I need a little break lol. I hope you continue to follow this story.**_

 _ **NEXT THING: Do you guys want me to cover more of Frieza and Goku's fight. I am not changing anything until the spirit bomb is thrown (hint hint), so it would be me regurgitating Kai episodes and I hate that. So, I could fill up the next two chapters with Arcos stuff, flashback sequences, dream sequences, and Adalina's parents, and her species new planet. Of course, if you guys don't want that, that's ok, I guess, but I'd rather further the main plot than cover Frieza and Goku's 22 episode fight or however long it is.**_

 _ **Please please review and tell me what you think.**_


	52. Chapter 48

_48_

 _Chapter Forty Eight_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

 _3 years ago..._

 _"I don't even know why I bother with that insufferable man!" Adalina growled under her breath as she stomped angrily away from the throne room. It was as if he knew she had a fancy for him, and used it to his advantage. Being stubborn and not wanting to complete a task? He'd just flash her a polite smile, and an 'It would be a tremendous help, as I am much too busy'. That's how it always was, he would use that rarely seen charm of his- that worked especially well on her- to manipulate her into performing even the most nefarious of tasks._

 _Like interrogating captives._

 _She was never ever rough with them, but the job required her to be ruthless, as she just knew he was watching._

 _She hated the work, but she did have a way with words._

 _Adalina walked towards the interrogation room, an area long ago she would have been scrubbing clean of blood and entrails, one of Frieza's earlier punishments for her. Most of the chores she was assigned were tame, but if she did anything to particularly make him angry...well, she took much longer showers at the end of the night to put it lightly._

 _At least he had moved away from torture, both physical and mental._

 _Or so she had thought._

 _She opened the door, stone-faced and as imposing as she could be, but what she saw was like a slap in the face._

 _A young girl, no older than her late teens, sat hunched over the cold metal table, her defiant eyes staring up at the Zandonian woman. Her cheek was lightly bruised, her lip bloodied. But it was the broken spirit in those sharp eyes, the slight flinch as Adalina pulled the opposite metal chair out that made her sick._

 _The young woman scowled, her perfectly shaped ruby lips contrasting against her teal skin, and mint colored hair. She appeared to be of the same species as Zarbon with her equally striking golden eyes._

 _"What's your name?" Adalina questioned gently._

 _"Don't you dare try to pull that good cop bullshit on me, just look at the god damn paper if you want my name." the girl's voice was light, and not at all characteristic of the foul language that had poured from her mouth._

 _Adalina wasn't deterred in the least as she looked down on the paper in front of her, scanning its contents._

 _Name: Zayla_

 _Reason for Detainment: Potential spy for demon organization, possible familial ties within PTO._

 _"Are you related to Zarbon?" she wasn't sure if she was suppose to ask that because the girl's face lit up and then promptly contorted with rage._

 _"Yeah? He's my brother, and I know his traitorous ass is working right here with the same bastard who killed our family, so what of it?", Adalina was not unused to her choice in language, being around the soldiers so often, but it was quite the shock coming from such an elegant young woman._

 _Frieza would abhor her..perhaps he had been the one to interrogate her first? That would certainly explain the bruises._

 _Adalina glared at the camera she knew was hidden within the room, a warning to her galactic overlord of a boss._

 _"Have you any affiliation with a woman named Lilith? Meredith perhaps? Two strikingly handsome, yet very disturbing looking young men?" she questioned rapidly, adding the last part to lighten the mood._

 _Frieza watched the entire exchange, a scowl present on his face as he heard the word 'handsome' associated with such creatures...and from the mouth of her no better. And he certainly wasn't going to overlook the pointed glare she had given him either. She made it much too difficult for him to contain his temper at times._

 _"No! I don't even know who you're talking about lady, and I'll tell you the same thing I told that horned freak; I am not a criminal, I have done nothing to slight your damn organization, and I was on that planet trying to hide from you fucks before all that shadowy stuff went down. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time."_

 _Adalina believed the girl, just by the look in her eyes. She herself was quite good at skirting around the truth, a skill she mastered at a young age, and knew when someone was being genuine._

 _"I believe you. Did you see what happened? Anything out of the ordinary that wasn't obvious?"_

 _Frieza clenched his fists she didn't even try interrogating her. That traitorous wench knew something, and Zarbon had so graciously informed him of his sibling's silver tongue. But perhaps he had lost his temper far too quickly? Perhaps she was innocent,? After-all, Adalina's manipulative way with words was far superior to anything he had seen._

 _The woman had even managed to trick him quite the number of times._

 _"No, I only saw what went down and then I was so very gently thrown onto this damn ship." Zayla spat back with fervor. The girl had sat up fully, allowing Adalina to see her neck, and the recognizable hand-shaped bruise wrapped around it._

 _"I believe you, and I'm very sorry you were detained. It was a misunderstanding, I'll see about getting you released soon." the Zandonian replied, her voice solemn. She was upset with Frieza, very much so._

 _Was he really so terrible as to choke a young girl? A child? Was she wrong about him?_

 _Zayla studied the woman closely,_

 _"You're out of place here, you know that? Someone as kind as you doesn't belong with a bunch of glorified mercenaries." she quietly commented._

 _"It's not as if I have a choice." she gave her a sad smile, "Good day, Zayla, perhaps you and your brother can one day find peace with each other." Adalina stood and placed a hand on the door, but was stopped._

 _"You're not happy here. Don't try and convince yourself that you are." was all she said._

 _The older woman's throat seemed to close in on itself as a heavy feeling settled in her stomach, but she ignored it and opened the door, stepping out into the cool hallway._

 _She marched down the hall, back towards the throne room._

 _Frieza knew she was coming, and was preparing himself for whatever onslaught she had prepared. He had seen the look in her eyes, and deep down, it had shaken his resolve. But he would not be subdued so easily. He had been slowly succumbing to her ways over the years, and it was about time he put her back where she belonged._

 _The door hissed open, and he was already facing her, his hands behind his back and face contorted with a small frown. She was not unused to such an expression, but this time, she knew it was merely a front for something darker._

 _"Did you hit that poor girl?"_

 _"What if I said yes?" he shot back, her accusatory tone only serving to anger him further, "You do not dictate my actions, I will do as I please. I hope you didn't think I was beginning to bow to your naive ways."_

 _Adalina merely shook her head in disappointment,_

 _"That temper of yours is going to get you killed one day."_

 _"And that trusting attitude of yours will do the same. We're all going to die one day, are the circumstances that prominent, truly?"_

 _"You always have a response, no matter what I say. You had no place laying a hand on such a young girl. She's not even an adult yet, Frieza! I'm sure there were other ways that didn't involve violence."_

 _Frieza's patience diminished rapidly as she spoke, and he found himself moving before he even thought about it. His tail wrapped around her neck, lifting her off of the ground in one swift motion. He brought them closer, their faces mere inches apart,_

 _"I did far worse before you came along. I could have done far worse to her, but I did not. Do not presume to know where the boundaries of right and wrong are situated because every situation is rooted in grey, not black and white. That girl was responsible for the fall of an entire nation, and it was all to benefit herself. None of us are without consequence, and no one has the right to tell I, Lord Frieza, how to behave." he dropped her unceremoniously, "Now get out of my sight, and do forget about your silly notions of morality."_

 _Adalina rubbed her neck, her hands trembling slightly. He had actually blown up on her, after going so many years holding it in._

 _He truly was a monster._

That had been the last time he had lashed out at her. She had been hurt and confused, but had managed to rationalize his behavior. He was still prone to fits of anger, and she was a fool to think she could calm him somehow. She shouldn't have been surprised by the Namek order, but he was her responsibility, or she liked to think. Her mind was a swimming sea of blackness once more, awaiting the influence of another dream, another flashback to further the crack that had formed between them.

Goku was beaten, and down on his luck.

There was only one thing left for him to do, even if it cost him his life.

The Saiyan erupted from the water, startling Frieza, as the tyrant had thought he had right drowned the monkey.

Goku shouted,

"I have to pull off a Kaioken times twenty! It's the only way." he shouted as he powered up.

The tyrant was puzzled, as he had yet to hear the term, and a quiet sense of foreboding settled within his gut as the warrior took on an ambient red glow.

* * *

Everything was dark, but Lilith had made quite the mistake in underestimating the older Arcosian. Frieza was stronger, yes, but he was lacking in the tactics department. The woman's eyes glowed a faint red color, allowing his own sharp orbs to follow her every move.

She would move in for a hit, and be blocked instantly.

"How?! How do you know?" she shouted, enrage as shadows lashed out from her person, one of them catching the Prince on his cheek, creating a shallow cut that he dismissed.

Arctica and Polarra had long since made their exit from the castle, using the underground tunnels to escape to the icy tundra. The demon had barely noticed the queen's glowing hands as she fumbled around for the hatch.

"I am not like my careless brother, and if you know what's good for you, you'll surrender now." he smirked as warriors stormed the throne room, carefully executed ki blasts dispersing the roiling shadows.

"You snake!" she spat. How was she being outsmarted? How had she been so careless?

Perhaps the Kold family was a force to be afraid of, perhaps that bumbling oaf of a kind had been right. Frieza was intelligent, elegantly diabolical, and strong. Cooler was level headed, determined, and tactful. She almost laughed, perhaps if those brothers worked together, than she would be truly afraid.

"Surrender." he simply replied.

The demon growled, raising her arms quickly and throwing up a wall of flames, before disappearing.

"Spread out, and locate her if she is still on the premises." he commanded.

Arctica watched as soldiers fanned out of the castle and she promptly lowered herself and her daughter back to the ground,

"What's going on now?" she questioned.

"Ah, uh the demon escaped, your majesty." a soldier spluttered, his cheeks burning red.

"Well, best go find her then." she winked at the flustered man and he ran off with a hurried,

"Of course ma'am."

Polarra smiled at her mother's antics, glad that the terrifying ordeal was over, temporarily at least. She just wished that Ada and Frieza had been there to help them.

She sighed as she grabbed her mom's hand, the two walking towards the palace once more,

"Mom?" she questioned quietly.

"Yes my sweet?"

"Do Frieza and Ada really love each other? They don't seem to act like it a lot of the time."

Arctica was taken by surprise, they had just barely escaped Lilith, and she was asking about them? She had totally forgotten about Namek, and now she was once again worried, but she wouldn't let her daughter know that,

"Well, honey, love is a complicated thing. Sometimes opposites have more in common than they might think, and they see themselves in each other, the parts they wouldn't dare show anyone else. You'll understand it when you're older." yes, for Frieza did indeed have a softer side hidden somewhere, but she knew that Adalina was also harboring a few dark secrets.

The girl was mostly chipper, friendly, very loyal, and always stood on the side of justice.

But there were times when she would witness the girl's resolve falter, almost as if she had to constantly remind herself of why she was doing what she was doing, sometimes she even thought maybe Frieza had won her over, had gotten under her skin.

But it was just her and her occasional slips.

Something dark had happened in the girl's past, something she was running from.

Arctica thoroughly believed the girl to be a saint, a wonderful influence on her nephew, but she knew there was something complicated going on inside her head nonetheless.

Everyone has their demons, and she was no exception.

* * *

Goku watched with horror as Frieza appeared from the smoky blue haze of his residual Kamehameha, his arms formed in the shape of an 'X', a sturdy block.

"A valiant attempt, but you'll have to do much better than that." he replied venomously. He had to admit, however, the powerful blast had hurt him. The Saiyan's resolve was becoming bothersome.

Goku scrambled, searching for anything he could use to end the fight before it became deadly.

He threw his hands in the air, recognizing he had to use his last resort.

"This has to work." he whispered to himself.

"What are you doing?" Frieza questioned, "Are you surrendering? Because I assure you, I will not be handing out any mercy this day."

* * *

 _Adalina ran through the inky blackness her mind had conjured, memories that had been buried deep within resurfacing._

 _"Mayrista? Mayrista! Answer me, oh no what have I done?" her voice was trembling as she cradled the fallen body of her friend. Her throat, it was in her hands and she had no idea what had happened, no idea why there were dead bodies surrounding her._

 _The scene changed suddenly, her brother's body falling limply from the blade of a sword,_

 _"Krayton!" she screamed, but her voice would not carry across the void._

 _Her brother, her only sibling, her rock, had been taken from her._

 _She ran towards the scene, but was pulled down another abyss by some unseen force._

 _She was suddenly on the battlefield once more, surrounded by her fellow Zandonians, all of them running in terror. She watched as a head of teal colored hair rolled past her feet, having been decapitated by one of Frieza's soldiers._

 _A child was utterly obliterated by a ki blast._

 _The scene was again changed, to something surely her mind had conjured, as it had not occurred._

 _Her parents were dead, their cold eyes unmoving, eyes wide open in terror. Their entrails were exposed in a gruesome fashion, nearly making her gag._

 _She looked up when she heard a chuckle, only to come face to face with her beloved tyrant. His pale face was covered in magenta blood, his finger tips dripping with the substance._

 _"What have you done?" she asked quietly, tears streaming down her face, "How could you?"_

 _He chuckled,_

 _"Are you truly surprised my dear? This is who I am, this is who you've fallen in love with, no? You have no ties left here now, you only have me." his voice dropped to a sinister low, "And I'll never let you go."_

 _She shook her head rapidly, rage building up,_

 _"You're not Frieza. That's sorely out of character for him." she spat._

 _"No, I'm not. But I am what your subconscious believes him to be, and doesn't that say something?" he said inquisitively._

 _She was taken aback, not sure how to answer the figure. Her skin was crawling, all hairs standing on end. Perhaps she had been deceive, perhaps he was truly manipulating her, even though she tried time and time again to disprove the notion._

 _"He's changing."_

 _"He knocked you out so he could kill all of those helpless Earthlings because he's selfish and petty. People like that are incapable of change."_

 _She shook her head once more,_

 _"I don't believe it." she stepped forward, over the bodies of her parents, "People are complex, and if they are willing, are capable of change. If I can convince him it's what he wants, then he'll change."_

 _"But doesn't that make you the one manipulating him? For your own selfish desires?"_

 _That one comment was enough to shake the foundations of her world, of everything she had come to know. She truly had no response to that. Was she in the wrong as well? Was this relationship they had unhealthy?_

 _She was trying to make him into something he wasn't._

 _But that didn't mean he hadn't at one time been the person she craved to see him become._

 _She wasn't sure what to think. Was she also the bad guy? Were they trapped in a never ending cycle of one trying to mold the other?_

 _Of course they were._

 _But she had still fallen for him, all of him._

 _And perhaps it was time for a compromise._

 _"I am his moral compass. I believe I once read somewhere that honor is akin to the morality of superior men. I am protecting his honor, I want him to be proud of who he is, because I know that deep down he despises the person he has become, because someone manipulated him into that form long ago." she replied fervently._

 _"But how do you expect to fix him if you can't even fix yourself?"_

Adalina's eyes flew open as she awoke to the sensation of being carried at high speeds.

"Oh man this isn't good, do you see him anywhere?"

"No, but I don't think Frieza could have survived a blast like that, so at least we have some relief." Vegeta's voice was prominent as it rumbled through her rib-cage. He was carrying her.

She felt him lightly touch on solid ground and found herself immediately scrambling from his grasp, tumbling to the ground.

"Hey! Take it easy you miserable woman." he shouted with bite to his tone.

Adalina stood and gave Vegeta, Krillin, and Gohan a look of despair. They were confused at her desperately saddened look, not knowing why she would be upset.

Then it hit them.

"What happened, where is he?" she whispered.

"Ah, he-" Krillin spotted a dash of dark green in the water, and then a flash of orange as Piccolo pulled Goku from the water, both of them substantially weakened, "Better let them explain." he said nervously, suddenly scared of the woman's reaction.

The Saiyan and Namekian crouched on the small strip of land, coughing up water and catching their breaths,

"Goku!"

"Dad!" it was a joyous reunion, their savior had lived to see another day, and their enemy had been defeated.

Adalina took a step forward, but Vegeta placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her. She shrugged it off weakly and continued to the group of happy warriors.

Goku gave her a small smile, but it was instantly lost has he saw the tears that had gathered in her eyes,

"You killed him. You really..killed him, he's gone." she murmured, "You killed him!" she shouted, louder now as she furiously pounded her fists on his chest, her mind too consumed with emotion to even fathom using her strength. They were like mere bug bites to the Saiyan, but he felt the raw desperation and anger behind them, and it broke his forgiving heart.

She was the exact reason he tried not to kill anyone, because even the bad guys had people who cared for them,

"I'm really sorry, Adalina." he tried to console her, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"He's just-just brash and misunderstood! He's not bad, truly, he just grew up wrong. I tried so hard you know." she melted into a sobbing puddle, "I tried so hard, and for what? To have it all thrown back in my face."

Goku's brow furrowed as his chest tightened, he truly felt her pain, and he regretted his actions. He wish he could go back in time and avoid using deadly force.

She stepped away from him, violently removing herself from his grip as she took a fighting stance. But she was once again moved to tears as she realized what she was doing. She hit her knees, caught in a moral pit. She cared for Frieza, but the Earthlings were merely protecting themselves because she had failed.

It was all her fault.

Krillin's eyes suddenly widened as he gasped, his eyes fixed on a point not far from their island.

Everyone looked up to see a shocking sight.

"Frieza! You're alive." Adalina shouted, clambering to her feet, "You're not dead."

The tyrant looked to her, noting her tear streaked face a puffy eyes. Had she truly been that upset over the thought of losing him?

Then she wouldn't mind killing those responsible for her heartache, would she?

Piccolo hit the floor before anyone knew what was happening.

Horror was written plainly across her face as she watched him fall, but she was frozen in place, powerless to do anything at all.

"F-frieza." Krillin stammered

"Ah yes, I hope you haven't forgotten about my tail, _human._ " he spat.

The monk suddenly levitated in the air, his heart breaking cries for Goku reaching her ears,

"Stop thi-" an explosion rocked the atmosphere as the human was silenced, never to be heard again. Charred bits of flesh and armor rained down on them, covering the ground in viscera and gore.

Everyone stared on in shock, not moving.

"What have you done? You monster." Adalina ground out.

Goku, however, seemed to be the most enraged as his hair began flickering a golden color.

He was no doubt taking on the legendary form as the sky began roiling with lightening and thunderous clouds.

And there was no way in Hell she would help Frieza.

He was about to get everything he deserved.

 _ **A/N: I am absolutely loving this biweekly system! And I'm sure you'll notice the change as well. I haven't been able to write this much in quite some time, and I have been recently uninspired, but that extra week gives me a lot of time to think.**_

 _ **Sorry for any overly dark or sad themes in this, I found a kitten on the side of the road two weeks ago, and unfortunately had to bury it this morning. It was devastating, but that's life, and these things are bound to happen.**_

 _ **Anywho, an image of Zayla will be up soon, as she is a recurring character. I apologize for the foul language in this one, but it was necessary to portray her rater brash character.**_

 _ **See you guys two weeks from now!**_


	53. Chapter 49

_49_

 _Chapter Forty Nine_  
 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_  
 _H.L Mencken_

Golden light flickered across her face as she stood, shocked and in awe, angered and yet somehow terrified for the tyrant. The dark hole that had nestled itself in her heart only seemed to grow the longer she stayed in the area.

Krillin's blood had spattered her face as his body was blown to bits, the red liquid beginning to dry and tighten on her face, the sensation almost enough to make her burst into tears. She was a warrior, and death was a near constant for her.

But it was so violent.

And it was facilitated by the one she loved.

"How could you?" she shouted over the roaring aura of the Super Saiyan in front of her.

Frieza directed his attention to her, and Goku soon after he had made sure Gohan was far away from the fight.

"How could I?!" he shouted, "Why would you even ask such a stupid question? They wronged me."

"This isn't you." she lowered her head, tears brimming over once more.

"I beg to differ. This is who I am and this is who I have always been. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to deal with this...Saiyan," for he refused to acknowledge that it was the legend, "and then you and I are going to have a _long_ chat."

Adalina clenched her fists so tightly her nails dug bloody crescent moons into her palm,

"Screw you, I hope you get what's coming to you." her head snapped up, "You mean nothing to me." the words hurt, and she knew she didn't mean them.

But she had to let go, because he was never going to change his ways. Too bad it took the death of an innocent to make her see that.

Frieza's heart thrummed rapidly in his chest, her words cutting deeply.

"Adalina." she had never heard his voice sound so hurt before, but she couldn't be looped into his twisted ways any longer. She wouldn't allow herself to feel anything anymore.

But the look in his eyes as she turned away from him, it was almost too much.

He watched her blue hair flutter in the wind as she followed after the others who had escaped. Would he ever see her again? Ever see those piercing eyes of hers?

A slow anger began to churn in his chest as he turned to glare at Goku,

"Well? Come on then, I have nothing to lose."

* * *

Lilith's blood covered hands tore into another pair of helpless parents, her mind nearly orgasmic as she ripped their ribcages wide open, the sickening squelch like music to her attuned ears.

"Now where's baby?' she licked her lips devilishly, elegantly stepping over the mutilated bodies and towards the nursery. She was ecstatic to be back on Earth, even if it wasn't her version. It was one of the few times where all of their strongest warriors were off planet, which gave her time to do a little anger management.

As well as research.

She peered over the crib, the baby cooing without a care in the world, until its perceptive instincts picked up on the wrongness of the situation. The infant let out a wail, crying to parents that would never hear her again.

"Shhh shh little one, it's okay." Lilith cooed, before the faux innocence was replaced with a leering grin.

The room was silent once more.

* * *

Adalina caught up with Vegeta, Gohan, and Dende, the former two carrying the unconscious Piccolo. It was an odd sight, seeing the Prince helping the humans. Seemed she hadn't done wrong by him after all.

"Adalina!" Gohan exclaimed, "I thought for sure you would have tried stopping them."

She solemnly shook her head, her heart twisted into a thousand knots,

"Not this time kiddo." she released a short laugh, completely absent of any humor, "He's going to get exactly what he deserves. I'm only upset I won't be the one to dish it out, though I probably wouldn't do as thorough of a job as your dad."

No, she was way too attached to him, and she hated herself for it.

The pitiful look in Krillin's eyes still haunted her.

But the gleeful gleam in Frieza's seemed to be the thing killing her.

She wanted to say that she was through with him, but somewhere deep down, she knew that if he survived, she would run right back to him. No, she couldn't, she had to leave. It would hurt, but how much more could she hurt?

"So what's the plan?" Vegeta asked, breaking the silence.

"We need to get the Namekians off planet somehow, get Piccolo to safety. This planet will be destroyed by those two no doubt." she commanded, stepping into her role effortlessly, "Dende, I know you're scared, but right now you need to be brave, can you help me round up your brothers?"

The trembling child clenched his fist and nodded his head,

"I can do that."

"Wait, we need to find Bulma too." Gohan reminded them.

Vegeta sighed and settled all of Piccolo's weight on the smaller Saiyan,

"I will find the woman." he begrudgingly stated.

"Alright everyone, man your battle stations!" she shouted the familiar phrase, "And be quick."

She took off with the green alien in tow, following him to the nearest civilization. She only hoped they didn't _actually_ blow the planet up. She doubted it, they wouldn't be so reckless.

* * *

Frieza wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, glaring at the golden Saiyan. It was only then that the fear had truly begun sinking its fangs into him, and he found himself wishing he had help. And he knew, he knew he was wrong.

She had always been right.

He pushed away everyone, and when he found himself in a tight spot, he had no one to call out to. Adalina was his last resort, and he turned her away. He scared away the one person he never thought he would. She truly cared for him, he knew that. He had realized their mutual feelings, and had been planning on broaching the subject.

But his selfish ways turned all of that sour.

He clenched his fists, clearing his head of the inane thoughts. He had a job to do.

He supposed he didn't have to do it, but it would tarnish his image if he didn't see it through.

Besides, he wanted to be known as the one who took down a Super Saiyan.

He smirked, his will to fight skyrocketing. He lunged for the Saiyan once more, his new found fervor allowing him to blindside the monkey

Something deep inside, however, told him that if he killed Goku, there would be no redemption in her eyes. He would be miserable for the rest of his life, but then again, he had been miserable until she showed up as well.

* * *

"Reports of a massacre are swarming in, it would see that only families with infants were targeted in the attacks. The children were reduced to nothing but bones." the news reporter turned his head, attempting to hold back tears as he thought of what kind of monster would...eat a child, "Police are still investigating, and we will have more on this story at a later time."

Master Roshi turned the television off with a sigh, his eyes hidden beneath his glasses but filled with inquiry. Something was off, humans just didn't kill like that. It was more than likely something he wasn't equipped to deal with either, not with Goku off planet.

"Tragic, isn't it?" Oolong commented as he entered the room, "You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?"

"That it's not a human."

"Yup."

"All of our strongest warriors are dead or off planet, and I'm too damn old for this." the Turtle Hermit complained, "We'll just have to wait it out. For all we know, it could be a human..a really deranged one."

"Something's not sitting right with me, hasn't since this morning." Puar purred, "You and I both know that's not a human's work. But you're right, we can't do much."

"You ever get the feeling that something much bigger than us is going on?" Oolong commented, "Like something we have no business trying to deal with? Even with Goku?"

"That boy, he'd never let anything happen to this world, no matter the cost." Roshi replied, memories of a pint-sized Goku fending off an entire army floating through his head. He defied all expectations.

He had to come home in one piece, because something more terrifying than Frieza could crop up, if the foreboding feeling he had was right.

There were things out there bigger than their little corner of the universe, he was certain of that.

The Master picked up a magazine with a scantily clad woman on the front, his own method of relaxing.

"If things are about to get a lot worse, I might as well enjoy myself while I can." he let out a short laugh and opened up the magazine.

 _ **A/N: Sorry for the short chapter, I honestly wasn't sure if I was going to get one out, everything seemed to be against me being useful the past two weeks. I mean, who gets the flu in the middle of the summer? Me apparently. Also, I thought I could you know, fix my bike in like, idk thirty minutes. I was sorely mistaken. I can work my way around classic cars but when it comes to something as simple as a ten speed I'm lost, lol. Also I am going to fore-warn, come the 16th, things are going to get very busy for me, I move into my dorm and my director is cramming week's worth of band camp into one. Go me. And then classes start up.**_

 _ **There's a new picture of Adalina on my dA but I will be posting it on Twitter right after this chapter is posted!**_

 _ **See you guys next week.**_

 _ **ALSO THANK YOU TO THE ANONYMOUS REVIEWER WHO WAS MY 300th REVIEW. I can't even believe we got here guys. So, for celebration I'm going to take requests for a filler chapter that will come later in the story, after they get off Namek. So ask away guys, I might even put some of your OCs in if you wish!**_


	54. Chapter 50

50

Chapter Fifty

 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_

H.L Mencken

"They didn't do their job very well." Adalina mumbled to herself as they scowered village after village, finding only a handful of survivors, but survivors none-the-less. She wasn't aware that one of the demons had eliminated the natives while she was off planet.

"My brothers.." Dende murmured.

"It's going to be alright, we'll fix this ok? I'll find a way to get them back, so don't worry." at least she could rest a little easy knowing that Frieza had not been behind the deaths. It was the demons, their 'bigger problem'.

What she wouldn't give to have him never hear of the Dragon Balls, or Namek.

The planet began rumbling, a slow purr at first that began building to a loud roar, vibrating her ribcage and insighting a low foreboding. Something wasn't right.

She tilted her head to the sky and caught sight of a familiar ball of energy,

"Frieza no.." she whispered, "Dende let's move, get the kids and run."

The arrogant fool was sure to explode the entire planet, and there was no way they would be there to witness it. And he knew she was still on the planet, yet he was ready to throw her life away for his pride. Her heart sunk further, as she was led away from the path of forgiveness even more.

* * *

"Now, monkey, you can either dodge this and let it destroy the planet, or you can try and take it on. Your choice." Frieza smirked, his temper causing him to have tunnel vision, only able to focus on one thing.

Goku's eyes widened, the purple glint of the energy sphere reflecting in his blazing blue orbs. Was he really so blinded that he would forget his second?

He launched the ball, not giving the Saiyan much time to retort,

"Are you crazy? This will take the entire planet out, including Adalina!" he shouted painfully as the burning energy made contact with his bare hands.

"Nonsense, she's smart enough to have already left." as much as it pained him to say,he would probably never see her again.

"No, she hasn't, she's trying to get everyone off planet right now. Her energy is still here." Goku ground out, his heels digging trenches into the ground as the ball slowly began winning in its endeavor.

Frieza's eyes widened this time, a brief moment of regret flashing through his cold ruby irises. He truly had let his anger blind him, inhibit his ability to make sensible decisions, and as he saw the Saiyan take a fumbling step backwards, his heart dropped.

The Super Nova, his most powerful attack, began burying itself in Namek's luscious dirt, the brown matter spattering the blue grass as it was singed. He couldn't retract it, and he just knew that there was no way he could get to her in time.

The planet began rocking and pulsing, lava erupting from orfaces anew, smoke churning into the sky and causing it to turn blood red. It all happened so fast, and yet.

The planet was still there.

"I..I have no idea what happened." he mumbled, "But I assume this planet doesn't have very long, five minutes at best." he looked Goku in the eye, "I want this over before then."

"Can't we just call it already? I'm done with this." the Saiyan replied haughtily.

The Arcosian scoffed, a chuckle following shortly after,

"I'm afraid that's not possible, I'm not leaving until I have your head."

Goku glared at his stubborn enemy, not understanding why he valued killing him over saving the only woman who ever cared for him. It was confusing.

* * *

"Go go go." she rapidly shouted as she began ushering Dende toward the space ship, "I'll go find Vegeta and Bulma, you stay here. If I'm not back and the planet looks like it's about to blow, take off."

"What? No-"

"Do as I say, Dende." she sternly commanded, giving him a hard look.

The Zandonian woman took off in the direction she had last seen the Prince. Her head was spinning with rapid emotions. What was he thinking? She was hoping it hadn't been entirely intentional..but knowing how the tyrant truly was, she was beginning to think that it was completely plausible, and in fact, purposeful.

"You fool." she reiterated, shaking her head against the current of the wind.

* * *

"Your majesty, it's Namek!" a man ran into the throne room, out of breath and entirely panicked.

"What is it?" Arctica wasn't sure if she could handle anymore stress that day, but she needed to know if something was wrong.

"Signals from the planet indicate that it is close to the point of death." he explained.

"Frieza." Cooler growled, "That arrogant bastard."

"What?!" she exclaimed, more panicked that time, "Are you serious? Why would he do such a thing?"

"Do you really have to ask that any longer? Sure, Adalina has been quite the influence, but when push comes to shove he reverts back to his megolomaniac ways. He can't see the forest for the trees."

Her heart was breaking slowly, and the stress from the day was starting to wear on her. Arctica's eyes filled with tears as her delicate fingers began massaging circles on the bridge of her nose. She inhaled shakily,

"He'll come home, and she'll follow. We'll fix this. That boy is getting an earful next time I see him."

"Arctica you know you can't rely on th-"

"They'll come home." she reitereated more strongly, more so to reassure herself than anyone else.

"Mom?" Polarra poked her head into the throne room, worry written on her childish features, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing sweetheart, why aren't you in bed?"

"I couldn't sleep, it feels like something bad has happened."

Arctica smiled and delicately wiped away her tears, holding her arms out for her daughter to place herself in. The young Arcosian folded herself in the older woman's arms,

"It will all work out in the end, I promise. I don't want to worry you with details right now, but Frieza and Adalina are in quite the bind. But they always make it out, don't they?"

Polarra nodded slowly, not entirely convinced, but not willing to press her already stressed mother any further. Surely everything would turn out well in the end, as it always had.

Everything would be just fine.

* * *

"I'm going back to her." Dende shouted, his young eyes taking on a wisdom beyond his years, "Something doesn't feel right. I feel like I need to be with her."

"Are you insane?" Vegeta, who Adalina was searching for, exclaimed, "She's a big girl. She can handle herself. She'll come back when she realizes we are no where to be found."

"No she won't, she'll go right back to that battlefield and stay with him, and you know it."

The Saiyan wasn't about to argue with the little green imp, having no qualms over letting him go out there and get killed.

"If niether of you are back and this planet begins to look any worse, we're leaving."

"What- no!" Gohan exclaimed, Piccolo having been healed had yet to come to consciousness and he was keeping an eye on the large Namekian.

"Quiet you brat!" Vegeta shouted, "Allow the child to go if he so pleases." he smirked, "I'm sure he'll come running with his tail between his legs soon enough. Run along little one." he laughed.

Dende glared at the man before turning and taking off, the Capsule Corp. door closing behind him and shielding its occupants from the intense heat of the dying planet.

Adalina had thoroughly captured the hearts of all she had met, and it could very well end up being the saving grace of the Planet's remaining occupants.

 _ **A/N: Holy shit guys I'm so sorry. College is hard, also, I am now involved in a steady, and serious, relationship. I've had no time, and even when I've had time, I've had homework. It's crazy. I think I'm getting use to it, and I have drastically cut my credit hours for next semester. Don't worry this story isn't dead until I say it is. But PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD BE PATIENT WITH ME, AND DO NOT SEND ME ANGRY MESSAGES. Lord. I'm stressed enough as it is, I don't need to be guilt tripped into giving attention to a fanfiction when I need to focus on schooling I'm paying thousands of dollars for lol.**_

 _ **Updates will be slowly creeping back up, and I may only be able to put a chapter or two out a month until the summer, but I'll try my hardest.**_


	55. Chapter 51

51

Chapter Fifty-One

 _" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."_

H.L Mencken

The Zandonian strained her eyes to see through the ever-blackening smoke, shielding her face with the curve of her palm- as if such a small gesture would be enough to calm the immense saturation of colors dancing wildly around her.

"Damnit Vegeta." She murmured, "You've probably made your way to the ship at this point."

Adalina would never admit it, but part of- _most of_ the reason she separated from the others was not to find the Saiyan prince.

She was desperately trying to return to the battle field to see what had become of her love. Former love? Could she say that? She supposed you could love someone and not want to be with the person they had become. But was it even that? Could she truly pull away from him?

Such thoughts had no place with her at that moment. She would deal with them at another time, for she had much bigger responsibilities.

Adalina navigated the dying planet, ignoring its anguished cries as she sped through the darkened sky, following the obvious sounds of man-made destruction. She wasn't sure what she wanted to see when she arrived at her destination, but something deep inside screamed that she never wanted to see his demise.

As she approached a flash of green popped out of her peripheral vision, several hundred yards away from her. She slowed herself just enough to recognize it as Dende, who she had left back at the ship. The Zandonian came to a sudden stop, astonished at the sight before her,

"Dende?! What are you doing? I told you to wait at the ship!" she wasn't angry so much as worried, "It is far too dangerous out here and I cannot guarantee your safety."

The little Namekian stood his ground, not allowing her to sway his decision,

"I felt as if I needed to return to you. Vegeta and Bulma are at the ship, and you hadn't come back." His speech faltered ever-so-slightly, but other than that he was brave.

"I don't think you quite understand the severity of the situation at hand." She spoke sternly, "These are two very dangerous warriors, battling on an already dying world, they won't be holding back nor looking out for anyone but themselves. And if this planet goes, and you aren't gone I won't be able to help you."

Dende puffed his chest out a bit,

"I am aware."

Adalina was about to speak when a loud thundering noise caught her attention. The sky toiled almost as if a storm was rolling in to add even more darkness to the sky. Both were confused as scanned the horizon, looking for any sign that would indicate what was happening on the tiny green planet.

"Is that?" She trailed off, her breath catching as her eyes widened to saucers.

"Porunga!" Dende exclaimed.

"Does he have any wishes left?" She questioned quickly, the gears in her head turning at a fast pace.

"Yes, just one." The little Namekian replied.

"I need you to wish everyone off this planet, save for Goku, Frieza, and myself. Can you do that?" She spoke slowly, making her decision without any hesitation.

"I-"he began to protest, but stilled at the stare she shot his direction, "Yes, I can do that."

"Hurry, take to the ground, I'll keep them both occupied." She didn't wait for a reply as she zoomed off, following the sounds of battle. No way would she allow him to get his wish, not after all she had gone through to prevent it, not now.

Adalina could see them, flashes of gold, purple, and white dashing towards the massive dragon. The purple skinned woman phased in front of her boss, a stern look on her face contrasting the shocked one of Frieza's.

"Adalina? What are you doing back here? You should be gone!" he spat, desperately trying to hide the worry in his voice, trying as hard as he could to prevent himself from looking anymore weak, from being humiliated any further.

"Preventing you from making a mistake." She stated firmly.

"Is that so? Move out of my way, woman. You said you wanted nothing more to do with me, so why stop me from getting what I desire?" his eyes burned like ruby embers, daring her to retract the words she had thrown in his face.

Her eyes brimmed with tears, her façade finally shattering as he bored into her soul. She could not turn away from him, she had come too far, and had fallen too deep. She loved him, every part of him, even if her entire body was screaming at her to just turn away.

"Do not go near that dragon, and if we make it out alive, we have a lot of talking to do." She retorted, her eyes beginning to take on an eerie red glow as she sped towards Dende, making sure that no one interrupted the wish he was about to make.

Goku set his sights on Frieza, the two warriors preparing themselves for what would no doubt be the final round,

"Let's just end this." The Saiyan pleaded once more, "She wants you to live, and I don't want to end your life, and I don't want this planet to take all of us out."

"Nonsense, I will end this battle with your life." He quickly retorted, still unable to push his ego aside.

Adalina observed Dende from high above, keeping her sense trained on the two warriors behind her. Her heart pounded as she almost started to rush Dende's slow, methodical, speech. She wasn't sure what he was saying, but she also wasn't confident in Goku's ability to hold him back. He had always been sneaky.

His speech stopped as the Dragon's eyes lit up,

"Your wish is within my power." Porunga's voice rattled the entire planet it seemed.

The Zandonian watched as the dragon dissipated and Dende vanished. Little did she know, forces were at work on Earth as well. More than just Dende and the Earthlings were being carted off planet.

* * *

"What?!" Vegeta exclaimed as he was suddenly deposited on a planet all too familiar with its green landscapes and rolling hills, "How did we get to Earth?"

Bulma cooed excitedly,

"Someone must have used a wish on the dragon balls." She looked around herself, seeing a few unfamiliar alien-like faces. Some were Namekian, yet others wore the same signature armor that was associated with Frieza's army.

Gohan stared at the gathered group of confused soldiers and citizens, putting on his brave face as he addressed them,

"This is Earth, and we don't like unnecessary violence." He spoke with authority.

He received many glares, but all of them immediately cowered as Piccolo stood tall behind the child, clamping a hand over his shoulder,

"That was very good, Gohan. I took on your leader and came out alive, so I would suggest you behave until we can figure out what to do with you."

The Namekians, who had been revived, cowered away from the soldiers, not very trusting after their brush with death.

A man who looked mostly human stepped out of the crowd,

"My name is Murdock. I'm Frieza's head physician and probably the clearest head out of these barbarians." He shot pointed looks at all the underlings, knowing that they respected his word, "I will ensure no harm comes to this planet or its people."

* * *

"A whole slew of Frieza's scouters just went back online, and get this, their signal is broadcasting from Earth." Cooler reported to his aunt, "I was certain that his entire army on Namek had been eliminated."

Arctica pinched the bridge of her nose, gradually becoming numb to all events happening around her,

"It would seem things much bigger than us are at play. The must've been resurrected, with Dragon Balls no doubt." The regal Arcosian woman was becoming weary with the day's events thus far, and that was only a cherry on top. She sighed as a particularly loud drilling sound reverberated through the palace, reminding her that on top of all the things occurring on Namek, her own palace had been attacked.

"Zarbon is still with my subordinates, commanding officer would fall to him if Frieza and Adalina are both absent." He could see the trepidation in his aunt's eyes; she feared for the safety of the Earthlings, "Zarbon, you're needed in the throne room." He called over his scouter.

"I'll be right there sir." He replied quickly, not wasting any time. He had been holding his breath for far too long. It had been quite a stressful day.

* * *

"I'm not listening to you, old man! Frieza's probably dead, which means we're free to do as we please." Kras, one of the more volatile soldiers exclaimed.

Vegeta scoffed as he leaned against a tree, not bothering himself with such trivial affairs.

"Why don't you step up?! You're way stronger than those guys. They need a superior." Bulma berated him, her hand placed firmly on her hips.

"Get out of my face woman!" he spat, "I'm no longer a part of that lively bunch." He smirked.

"Everyone." A voice echoed over the multiple scouters, "This is your commanding officer Zarbon."

They all straightened up instantly,

"Evening sir." They replied

"This is an order: Do not harm the inhabitants of the planet. You are under the jurisdiction of the Earthlings and you will do as they say. We do not need any further conflict, am I understood?"

"Yes sir!" they replied, a chorus of voices.

The Earthlings were baffled, but not particularly threatened any longer, their worry reverting to the friends that they could not find.

It would seem Frieza, Goku, and Adalina were all determined to fall with the planet Namek.

 _ **A/N: HENLO I HAVE RETURNED. Sorry if this chapter seemed….off, I haven't written for this story in months and I had to actually read through everything to avoid as many continuity errors as possible.**_

 _ **I am so terribly sorry for my absence, but a lot has changed in my life. I am going to start posting regularly again, but it is going to take me a bit to get used to it once more, and I apologize for that.**_

 _ **BUT, all is well, my relationship is stable once more, school is still stressful though, but like everything else seems to be going back to normal, I'm finally comfortable again.**_

 _ **Anyway, I'm going to start posting every Monday on a bi-weekly system once more! This next chapter will be posted on the Monday after next**_

 _ **Thank you guys for being patient, and if you catch any continuity errors, please tell me so I can fix it!**_


	56. Chapter 52

52

Chapter Fifty-Two

" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."

H.L Mencken

Adalina stood atop a cliff face as her eyes darted rapidly across the horizon, watching the two warriors battle with ever increasing anxiety, not knowing if she had the energy to interject. She was at a crossroads, and completely lost for any logical path forward. The planet would soon blow, taking all three of them along with it. She had to make them stop somehow, she had to get through to Frieza and get him to see that his pride no longer mattered.

"Stop this Frieza. I don't want to fight any longer." Goku boomed, his chest heaving as the two fighters stared each other down, "I'm leaving." He put it bluntly.

The Arcosian's face contorted in rage as the Saiyan's words washed over him. How dare he think he could just _leave_. This fight wasn't over until one of them was no longer breathing and it certainly wasn't going to be him.

The golden-haired warrior cast a knowing glance at Adalina before he took to the air, his back turning to the battle-field.

"Frieza, let's just go home." She meekly called out, she didn't have the energy for anger any longer.

He ignored her pleas, his entire plan had crumbled and she more than likely would want nothing to do with him anymore, so why should he listen to her? He would not let this fight end, even if it killed him.

He quickly formulated a plan, trying to end the battle as soon as possible.

"Leave this planet, Adalina." His voice had a dark undertone to it as he addressed her for the first time in a while.

"I will not." She stubbornly replied, "Not without you."

He scowled but didn't say another word as he began gathering energy into the shape of two disks, fully intent on slicing the Saiyan in half.

Adalina gasped at the display, not knowing if she should intervene, nor if she even had the strength to,

"Frieza. You know you do not have control over that move!" she shouted, catching Goku's attention just as the Arcosian threw one of the disks, slicing off a few hairs as it scathed by.

The Saiyan's breath hitched in his throat as he saw the chaos captured within the two discs- all three of them were at significant risk,

"Have you lost your mind?!" Goku shouted in a stern tone that was uncharacteristic of the bubbly Saiyan warrior, "You'll kill us all!"

"I think not, monkey!" he shouted as he used every ounce of energy left in him to wedge the discs on a path towards the Saiyan's head.

Goku dodged, causing the energy to catapult towards Frieza, one heading towards the Arcosian, the other heading straight for the Zandonian bystander. Adalina's eyes widened as the disc careened in her direction, her shock rooting in her in place.

Frieza growled as he pulled the disc upwards and away from his foolish second, dodging the projectile that was aimed at ending his life at the same time.

"Adalina! Get out of here, this is my second time commanding you to do so, and you _will not_ defy me again." He spat as his entire body trembled from lack of energy.

The lilac-skinned woman glared at him, her fists balled into tight masses of anger,

"Just drop it Frieza!" she growled, "You're going to kill us all!" She was no longer wishing for him to get what he deserved, she just wanted everyone to make it out alive. Of course some part of her wished that there was some salvageable part left within the tyrant, that they could move past this.

He didn't ignore her that time, he took what she said to heart, seriously thinking about what had just happened. He had nearly killed her, the one person that he felt truly understood him and cared for the person he was, no matter how awful he could be. But could he truly forfeit a fight, for once in his life, against someone who had wronged him? No it wouldn't be the first time, he had removed himself from plenty of situations where he and Adalina had gotten into it. Always choosing to walk away rather than hurt her feelings.

God what was happening to him? Did she truly have such an affect?

Frieza's mind was in another place, synapses firing off rapidly as he weighed his options. However, in his weakened state, his ability to multi-task was greatly hindered. He heard two people call his name out simultaneously, snapping him back to reality. His sensitive ears picked up the familiar hum of energy, the heat of a ki blade bearing down on him.

"Frieza! Move!" Goku repeated.

Adalina watched the moment happen in slow motion, and almost as if her body was not her own, she leapt from her position on the cliff, diving towards the man she had grown to love as the two discs closed in on him.

She fired a ki blast at one of the discs, obliterating it as she tackled him to the ground. She felt a searing pain as the other blade spun a deep trench into her back. She knew immediately that it was a potentially mortal wound, but she did not care.

Frieza's eyes widened as he felt the familiar caress of a bed made of dirt instead of the excruciating pain of being beheaded. What had happened? He could feel a warm liquid pouring over his torso as he stared into the angry red sky. His nose registered the scent of blood- ah, so he hadn't avoided the blow, his body was merely in shock and not registering the pain.

But it was registering the weight on top of him.

Adalina sat up, tears streaming from her eyes, and at that moment he was acutely aware of the _magenta_ colored liquid pooling beneath her.

"A-adalina." He stumbled over his words, something completely out of his composed nature, "Wha-"

"Let's just go home!" she cried, swiping at her face, her chest heaving as she wailed harder than she had in a while. He had certainly never seen her in such a state, "Please." She hiccupped, "I cannot bare this anymore."

He took in the ever-increasing paleness of her skin and trembling hands.

"You fool. You'll die." He whispered, immediately making up his mind, "This isn't over monkey. We will meet again, get out of my sight."

Goku felt a rush of relief that he wouldn't have to cause the gentle second any further distress, and trusted that the stubborn tyrant would get her the help she needed,

"Take care." He called, turning tail to leave.

"Wait! Goku, the Ginyuu's ships are over that ridge, use them to escape." Adalina faintly called out, irritating Frieza.

"Save your strength." He hissed.

Goku nodded in thanks and took off. He'd have to give himself time to process everything later.

"M-my ship is over there." She pointed over the cliff she had been standing on, trusting Frieza could find it.

He picked her up and cradled her crumpled form in his hands, taking off at high speeds as the planet began roaring at a disturbing interval, announcing its death. His energy had spiked as he watched his beloved second fade away, still not comprehending what had occurred. Not that it mattered.

Adalina's blood coated his hands and body, but his grip did not falter as he headed straight for her ship, trusting her judgement even in her impaired state.

The familiar site crested over the hill and he picked up his pace, the planet beginning to implode beneath them. He quickly reached the hatch and activated it with his tail, not wasting anytime as he slipped into the haven,

"Take us to Arcos!" he shouted, knowing the ship's autopilot would hear his command and immediately jump to hyper-space.

Frieza precariously placed the woman onto her back, his eyes darting around for the medical kit he knew contained their newest discovery. Healing water.

He ripped the kit from the wall and instantly found what he was looking for, opening the bottle before tipping the Zandonian's head up and slowly spilling the liquid into her mouth,

"You need to drink this." She heard him say, his voice sounding like it was miles away, but she did as told, taking the liquid into her mouth in gulps as its soothing touch reached her throat, "Slow down, not that fast." He chided, not wanting her to immediately regurgitate the life saving substance.

She felt her wound begin stitching itself together, the water could heal wounds and mildly replenish lost fluids but was not able to completely remedy blood loss. She allowed her breathing to even out as Frieza propped her head up in his lap, the ship rocketing far from the doomed planet.

They were both a mess, looking battle worn as ever as the Arosian took a sip of the miracle water, allowing his wounds to heal as well.

"You lied to me." She croaked, "You killed Krillin." She added, her chest constricting as she thought of the bald little human.

He started, not expecting the woman to speak, and certainly not expecting those words to spill from her mouth.

"I did what I had to." He retorted, not particularly in the mood for banter or lecture.

The woman shakily pushed herself up, but Frieza grabbed her shoulders and forced her back down,

"You're not moving until you are well." He glared at her, leaving no room for defiance, but she wasn't having it.

She used her ki to levitate to a standing position, shoving his hands away as he once again tried restraining her. She wobbled on her feet before finding her balance against the wall, allowing it to take her entire weight.

"I trusted you." She glared at him, "I was a damn fool. I can't take this anymore." Tears welled in her eyes once more, "I give you everything I have, and for what? Just to have it thrown in my face. Enough is enough. If you aren't willing to see the error of your ways then I have nothing more to give you." She cried, "And to think, I was actually beginning to think I _loved_ you." She added as an after-thought, but immediately went wide-eyed as she clasped her hands over her mouth, more tears streaming down her face as she realized what she had admitted. And she couldn't deny that she loved him, more than anything, and that is what hurt the most.

She averted her eyes from his shocked gaze, his perfect lips hanging open slightly, a contrast to his sharp, doll-like features.

Frieza took a deep breath and calculated his next move carefully, after all, what else did he have to lose?

Adalina felt cold hands gently grasp her own and tug them away from her mouth, dropping them down to their sides, was he _holding her hands?!_ He stepped closer to her, their chests nearly pressing against each other,

"I-" he started, trying to remember what it felt like to be that intimate with another, his years of conditioned behavior fighting against him, telling him he should just let her go, that he didn't need her if she was going to be that way, " I did not mean to cause you distress. I was doing what I thought was for the best, and I was wrong." That stung his pride, "Killing that earthling was also an act of emotion, and I, unfortunately, cannot control my emotions at times." He took a deep breath, "If I am being honest, I believe I feel the same way about you, as you do me." His chest tightened, and unfamiliar feeling brewing as he felt his body race with an unknown energy. Was he nervous?

"W-what?" she stammered.

Her face lit up and he took that as a positive reaction, trusting that it was okay to move forward with his next action.

Adalina registered that his face was moving closer to hers and her heart raced with anticipation, an unfamiliar sensation to her. His plush lips pressed against hers and it felt as if every worry she had melted away, her body relaxing as their torsos flushed against each other.

It was chaste, and over far too quickly as he pulled away, his grip on her delicate hands holding strong as he felt her sway,

"Uh well, I certainly never thought my first kiss would go that way." She blushed, "I will forgive you, but so help me God you better not make me regret this decision. And you're apologizing to the Earthlings."

"No."

"Yes you are and you aren't going to go after Goku. We have more pressing matters."

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, instead opting to tilt his head and sigh, relenting to her wishes,

"Fine." He smirked, closing in on her one more and stealing another kiss, this one much deeper and fevered than the last.

"Mhm!" she mumbled, pushing against his shoulders and pulling away as he chuckled, "I'll have none of your perversion Frieza!" she squeaked, and unknown feeling creeping its wait through her body. It had certainly felt nice..

And had certainly gotten her off topic, Frieza thought, noting that she had completely lost track of what they had been discussing.

"Come dear, we won't reach Arcos until tomorrow evening and you need rest." He beckoned her towards the ship's sleeping quarters.

She suddenly felt very self-conscious about sharing a bed with the tyrant, her face burning red,

"Nothing dirty." She mumbled as the walked together, Frieza supporting her lower back with an expertly placed hand, making sure she didn't fall in her weakened state.

"Of course not. You're in no shape for that, I'd rather you be able to participate." He smirked, finding a new way to get under her skin.

"Frieza! Stop. It." She exclaimed, "I am a lady and I won't listen to any nasty talk!"

"Of course not." He chuckled.

Adalina stripped her armor, noting the large gash that would need to be repaired, before grabbing a pair of her night clothes and heading for the shower,

"No I do not need help." She cut him off before he could even say anything, what had gotten into him?! "I will leave the door unlocked, but you are only to come in if I am not out within fifteen minutes."

She closed the door, leaving no room for debate.

The tyrant smiled, feeling a sereneness fall over him. Things would surely be okay.

That night they fell asleep entangled in each-others' arms, both knowing exactly what they were doing.

While they both still had work that needed to be done, they knew for at that moment, they were okay.

 _ **A/N: HOLY CRAP GUYS. I'm back woo. Obviously, as you see, this update took some time. I had to go back and read the story BUT THANKFULLY I've had this scene planned out from the beginning and merely had to traverse my story notes for it. It has been a hectic year for me but I am finally beginning to feel better. I am so so sorry for leaving you guys hanging and I hope this makes up for it. I hope Frieza isn't too out of character but I feel like I took a really long time building up to this moment and that he shouldn't. This chapter may seem a little off, and I apologize for that as I am trying to get back into the swing of things. Thank you so much for your continued patience and support. I'm not sure when I'll have another chapter out, and I don't want to hold myself, or you guys to a schedule, but taking a few weeks to chunk these out is really helpful. I know this fight seemed a little tame, but trust me, shit will hit the fan. But don't worry! They are a couple and they are here to stay!**_


	57. Chapter 53

53

Chapter Fifty-Three

" Honor is simply the morality of superior men."

H.L Mencken

 _This chapter is dedicated to Tsuru Hiromi, March 29, 1960 – November 16, 2017. Thank you for helping create such a beautiful world._

"Arctica!" Cooler rushed into his aunt's bedroom, as she had retired the evening prior, her heart unable to handle the strain any longer. The older prince had not been able to sleep at all, his mind racing with the potential out-comes of the battle on Namek.

"Yes Cooler?" she mumbled tiredly, as she had not been able to sleep, the proof in her voice.

He didn't comment on the dark circles beneath her eyes, the stress clearly visible on her tired face,

"It's Frieza." He clicked a remote and a holographic screen brightened Arctica's room from the far wall, the Arcosian's pale, tired face appearing in front of them.

"Frieza!" she shot up, her face contorted with a mixture of relief and anger, "You damn fool!"

He looked taken back through the exhausted mask on his face,

"Ah good to see you too aunt, you seem awfully unenthused about seeing me alive." He dead-panned, his usual knack for dark humor watered down by his lack of strength.

"You destroyed a _planet_! You could have gotten yourself killed! And all over some damn wish with those ridiculous orbs! Where's Adalina?!" she questioned the last part with less confidence than the others, as she could not see the chipper second in her usual post behind the tyrant.

Frieza grimaced but chose not to argue with the woman at that point in time, as he had already explained himself far too many times already,

"She is resting. While her wounds are healed, she still lost quite a bit of blood, so I am allowing her to sleep in." the weariness was prevalent in his voice, but something else was hanging onto the fringes of his tone.

Arctica arched a delicate brow bone as she picked up on the tone in his voice,

"Something happened between you two, didn't it?"

Frieza scowled once more, to hide his embarrassment,

"That's none of your business you pariah, we have more pressing matters to discuss wouldn't you say?"

It was then that Adalina's tired face came into the frame, her hair tousled from sleep,

"What's going on?" she questioned through a yawn, "Oh hi Arctica!" her chest fluttered at the familiar sight as it was something to remind her of familiarity, "I thought I'd never see you guys again." She beamed as she caught sight of Cooler as well.

The two Arcosians released silent sighs of relief when they saw the girl was unscathed, meaning there was still hope for the tyrant to continue on his path of redemption. She certainly had seen better days, but she was alive.

"It is good to see you as well. It has been a long couple of days, but yes, Frieza, we do have much to discuss. Whilst you were occupied with your idiotic dream, Lilith and her subordinates attacked the palace. Zarbon and I managed to hold them off and drive them back, but damage was caused to the palace." Cooler explained in a tone that suggested he was none too happy with his brother.

"The palace is the least of our worries," Frieza smirked, "Though you always were one for interior decoration weren't you brother? By the way, where is Zarbon? I have not had the motivation to check on the status of my soldiers yet, though I'm sure I've lost most of my fleet."

"Actually." Adalina interrupted, pulling up a comprehensive list of every scouter owned by the Frieza Force, "Everyone made it off the planet, I thought for certain they had perished but they must have been wished to Earth." She explained, looking at the location they were all clustered at.

"Yes, and Zarbon is on his way there now. With you two out of commission, leadership fell to him. We wouldn't want your unruly bunch stirring up trouble." The older Arcosian smirked, taking pride in his own force for their polite and calm demeanor. He was always a fan of brains rather than brawn.

"Hey now, those are my soldiers too." Adalina chided, her head whipping up to glare at the monitor. The motion made her feeble stability crumble and she nearly fell backwards.

Frieza placed his tail behind her back for support,

"Why are you up? You are not well." He scolded her quietly, hoping the other two would not hear.

"Because I don't like sitting in bed all day." She retorted, "It's boring."

"I suppose we'll leave you two alone for now, are you on your way here?" Arctica questioned with a smirk.

"Yes, we will arrive by this evening." Frieza was doing his best to ignore his aunt's perverse stare, but it was beginning to agitate him, "Goodbye." He spat, ending the call as his aunt's chuckling filled the speakers.

"Did Lilith really attack the palace?" Adalina questioned as she took a seat on one of the cushioned benches in the leisure area of her ship. The Arcosian sighed as he stood, still in his final form, and walked over to her, taking a seat beside his precious second.

"That is correct." She was picking up a sense of stress that had never been noticeable before, was he finally lowering his walls around her? If only a little, "While I do not know the full extent at the moment, I am quite sure Arctica will brief us upon our arrival."

"Are you okay? You seem stressed out." She questioned, even though she wanted to use the situation to try and show him the dire error of his ways -Polarra and Arctica could have died while he was too busy on Namek killing Earthlings. She was still mad at him, but they would have plenty of time to discuss things after they were both healed and in a better mental state. Though neither of them could shake the odd tension in the air. It was as if they were both choosing to ignore what had happened on Namek.

"I should be asking you that." He dodged the question, taking the attention away from himself, "You are aware you woke up screaming on more than one occasion last night, yes?"

Adalina stiffened, she had remembered but hoped he wouldn't bring it up, as she didn't particularly want to talk about the reasons just yet,

"I am aware." Her eyes went blank as she stared into some corner of the ship, her hands began trembling slightly, "I don't want to talk about it."

"You were tortured, by one of those cretins no less. I will make sure they suffer for this indiscretion." He scowled as he clinched his fist in front of him.

"I said I don't want to talk about it Frieza." She stood up, breaking him from his stance as his face softened, his eyes widening and mouth opening in a slight 'o'. He wasn't familiar with that type of situation. He thought that inciting a feeling of vengeance by speaking about the event was the best way to go about it, but it seemed he hadn't quite gotten a grip on the woman's fragile emotions.

But still, curiosity nagged at him as he allowed his mind to meld with hers. He got quick flashes of blood and screaming before the images went completely dark, "Stop it." She glared at him.

He had taught her to recognize all types of telepathic and telekinetic powers, and his mind reading was no exception. Of course, she probably noticed him concentrating harder as well, it wasn't a move he used in combat because it dropped his guard so drastically.

"Who do you think you are to give me orders?" he spat out of instinct.

Adalina glared at him and bent at her waist, putting her face in his, causing him to lean back,

"I think that I'm the girl you kissed and professed your love to last night." His face took on a pink tinge as his eyes widened, completely caught off guard, "I suppose that means we are courting and I am your girlfriend." She smirked, relief flooding her as she successfully maneuvered their topic of conversation to something lighter hearted.

He frowned, narrowing his eyes,

"I do not like that term, it sounds juvenile. On my planet we call each other mates." He tried to recall what his dating customs even were, as he had never had interest for another no matter how many women his father shoved towards him. In fact, as experienced as he liked to think himself, he had only been with a handful of women to satiate his occasional need for release.

Adalina's face went red,

"On my planet that is used to describe two people who intend to have children later on-"

"It doesn't have the same meaning on my planet." He interrupted, "But refer to me as you please, and I will do the same." He leaned forward, a smirk on his face as he captured her lips in another kiss. He wasn't sure what had gotten into him, but he felt the need to be as close to her as possible, as much as possible. In a world where only crushing his enemies beneath his boots made him feel good, it was nice to have an alternative.

The Zandonian felt herself melt into him as he pulled her down to straddle his lap, noticing that she was trembling from standing for so long -of course he had his own guilty reasons for his actions as well.

Adalina felt her body flush with an unknown heat, almost like an itch that she needed to scratch. It was completely foreign to her, but it felt nice. She relaxed her hands against his shoulders as one of his hands cradled the back of her head, lacing his fingers through her hair. The other one settled against her waist, the thin material of her night clothes not enough to shield her skin from his cold touch.

Frieza deepened the kiss, gently tilting her head, silently instructing her on what she needed to be doing. While that particular form of affection wasn't what was customary on his planet, it was universally recognized and accepted, well, usually. He was more excited that she lacked experience, his dominating nature loving the challenge. He attributed his feverish behavior to having gone so long without contact of the sort, in fact, he had not had any relations with consorts since Adalina came into his life.

The Zandonian felt his hand begin creeping upwards from her waist and pulled away,

"We should eat breakfast." She stood up, nearly falling over. Frieza stood along with her, putting a hand on her lower back as he had done the previous night, "Huh, you're taller than me in that form, not fair." She pouted.

"Come on, let's see what kind of 'food' you have stored on this heap." He rolled his eyes, as he was quite aware of his second's affinity for junk food.

"I have actual food, I swear." She defended herself as they walked to the kitchen.

He didn't reply, his mind still elsewhere. He was disappointed that they had stopped so early, but he wouldn't push her, he was called evil for many things, but _that_ certainly wasn't one of them.

Adalina stood in front of the fridge, looking for anything that resembled breakfast food. Frieza was beside her, close enough to catch her if she faltered,

"None of this resembles anything edible." He scowled.

"You like these." She pulled out a carton of over-sized eggs, "This is breakfast, right?" she sheepishly smiled at him.

He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes as he took the purple container from her trembling hands.

"I can prepare the food, you need to rest."

"Do you even know how to cook?" she couldn't recall a time she had seen the man do anything so mundane.

"You do realize there was a point in my life where I had to fend for myself, yes?" he almost seemed offended at the teasing statement, and Adalina found herself feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't assume like that." She smiled at him, "I would love for you to cook me something."

Frieza scoffed and continued scanning the contents of the refrigerator, looking for any other ingredients he could use. He picked up a few more items with his tail before closing the door,

"I will return shortly. Lay down before you pass out." He gently instructed, as he was aware she was feeling ill and did not want to upset her.

The Zandonian nodded, hobbling over to her couch once more and laying down. It was silent on the space-craft, until the distant hum of Frieza cooking took over the room, the sent drifting to her. She smiled softly, her stress melting away for a mere moment in time as she enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere. Her mind kept replaying the few intimate moments her and the Arcosian had shared and it made her entire body light with an unknown energy.

Adalina still couldn't believe that he had returned her feelings, and he had been genuine about it, and vulnerable, something completely out of the norm for him, and she had been allowed to see it. It made her love for him grow even more, if that were possible.

She smiled and nuzzled into a pillow, drifting off as she dreamt of things to come.

Frieza stood in front of the stove, cooking to the best of his knowledge. He really wasn't one for such menial tasks, but for some reason he couldn't find it in himself to tell her he had no idea what he was doing, because then she would have opted to cook for herself or not at all, and neither of those options were healthy. He tried to recall distant memories of his mother humming away at the stove in the palace kitchens.

"No, I will not let you feed my children that pompous excuse for food." She had told both their father and the kitchen staff, "They are growing boys and they need things to compensate for that, not fancy food in ridiculous dishes."

"My Queen, we can prepare something more to your liking-" the head chef began.

"You should not be lowering yourself to such a menial task, Orithyia." King Kold chided.

The fierce Queen sent him a glare, "I will do as I see fit. Need I remind you that I was not a pampered welp?" the argument was ended, as he did not have the energy to refute his stubborn wife.

"Yes, of course love."

Frieza smirked at the memory, but was suddenly shocked back into reality when he saw that the egg he had started to cook was beginning to crisp at the edges, he knew his second hated the yolk cooked and promptly removed the edible as carefully as possible, dropping it onto a plate. Conventional cooking was far easier than anything he had done in the past.

"How are we supposed to survive out here?" a much younger Frieza asked his older brother.

"It is quite simple, we must fend for ourselves." Cooler replied, trying to ease his sibling. Truth be told, he wasn't sure how they were to survive on the foreign planet either. Their father had dropped them with no warning, only telling them he would be back in one week. He was certain it was some form of brutal training their mother had no idea about.

The planet was tropical in nature, and seemed to be only inhabited by animals with no higher form of sentience. It had been quite a shock to both of the boys when they had to find and kill their own food and cook it over a barely lit fire.

Yes he quite found that the prepped ingredients, and stove made the process much easier.

He finished cooking and plated everything as neatly as possible, turning the stove off with his tail and setting them onto the table,

"Adalina, your breakfast is finished." He called out as he walked back towards the cozy common area. He didn't hear a response from the young woman, and wasn't surprised to see her curled around herself, fast asleep. He walked over to her and ruffled her hair gently, "I know you're tired but you need to eat something." He repeated words he had heard long ago.

The Zandonian blinked sleepily, turning over to stare at him,

"Oh I fell asleep." She said sheepishly, smiling lightly.

"Yes you did, you can go back to bed after you eat if you would like, I will not wake you until we are closer to Arcos."

She pushed herself up to a sitting position, still feeling weak. Frieza noticed she was struggling and extended a hand, pulling her to her feet with ease and grace.

"You've been so sweet to me recently." She commented with small smile.

"I've always been courteous to you, in comparison to my treatment of others." He didn't particularly want to have that conversation; why did she bring such an embarrassing topic up?

"Ah, yeah, I suppose that's true." She replied, picking up on his uncomfortable tone.

"Come, let's eat."

The two alien super powers sat at the table and enjoyed their first meal together in quite some time, taking the time to silently reflect and energize themselves. By the time they had finished, the young woman was tired once again, her eyelids fluttering. He found her serene and content look ignited something in him.

"I think I might lay back down for a bit." She said, yawning and standing up, some of her strength returning, "Perhaps I will be back to health after a nap."

Frieza swooped her into his arms in one swift movement, holding her in a bridal position,

"And conserving your energy will also help." He commented, his face a light pink tone. He had gotten a sudden urge to be close to the woman once more.

She giggled but said nothing, allowing him to carry her to the bedroom. He was quite fond of her laughter, as it almost made him feel the same joy.

The galaxy's most feared leader sat the woman down and carefully covered her in blankets with his tail,

"Goodnight my dear, I will wake you when we are close." He flipped the lights off before giving her a light kiss on the lips.

He didn't know what had suddenly possessed him after watching her delight in the food he had cooked, but it was like he had been drawn to her light even more. Part of him, one that still burned from his youth, screamed for him to give in to his feelings completely, and allow them to devour him. He sighed lightly under his breath,

"What have you done to me?" he quietly questioned as he typed in a command for the ship to announce when they were ten minutes from Arcos.

Frieza gently clambered into bed with the woman and wrapped his arms around her mid-section, his tail entwining with her legs and pulling her close.

Adalina smiled, feeling safe and sound, like nothing could touch her ever again.

 _ **A/N: WOO another chapter. SO life got really weird again and I am taking a semester off school due to stress and because of my university messing up my finances somehow. ANYWAY. I have a proposition for you guys. I recently started a patreeon account for this fiction. I thought it might be a good way to bring in a little extra income so I don't have to work as much and can devote more time to finishing this fiction for you guys and creating more stories in the future. THIS WILL NOT PREVENT YOU FROM READING THE STORY. I am still going to be posting on fanfiction publicly and will never make you pay for fanfiction, as I'm not even entirely sure that's legal? Anywho, if you become a Patron there are little awards set up like sneak peeks at chapters and video chats and blah. My account is LolitaKG. You absolutely do not have to sign up. I just thought it would be an interesting little way for me to interact with you guys a bit more. And of course if you guys hate this idea and think I'm being an awful person I will remove it ^^'**_

 _ **Until next time! Next chapter will focus on Arcos and Lilith!**_


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